


Daughter of Maleficent

by astryl



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Romance, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 30,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24315787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astryl/pseuds/astryl
Summary: Mal has always been known as the daughter of Maleficent. People expected her to be just as evil and cruel as her mother, and she'd love nothing more than to prove it to them.That all changed when she came to Auradon.~ Descendants rewritten to a fic with more focus on teenage drama and romanceUpdated!
Relationships: Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 76





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> The idea for this fic came during a rewatch of Descendants and hours of listening to the movie’s official soundtrack. I guess I wanted to rewrite the plot with your typical teenage drama and with more focus on the romance and royalty side. 
> 
> The scenes and lines I wrote in this book are taken from either the movie, the novelizations, or my own mind. If any of the chapters seem familiar to another work, please tell me immediately! I haven’t explored the fics written for Descendants, and I can only hope that my idea hasn’t been done before.
> 
> Daughter of Maleficent is a completed story, so you don’t have to worry about it being left unfinished. Updates will be posted every Friday!
> 
> This is the first fic I’ve completed, and I would definitely appreciate it if you can leave a review for me. If you end up liking it, why not leave a kudo and bookmark it?
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy my story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
> 
> ~ astryl
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants. It belongs to Disney.

"Darling, is something wrong? You've been staring into space for quite some time now."

Queen Belle snapped out from her train of thoughts to see her husband, the human Beast, looking at her worriedly from behind his desk. An open book, left unread, rested on her lap as she reclined comfortably on the chaise lounge in the library. 

Ever since the couple moved into this new Beast Castle, it had been a habit of theirs to stay in the library. It was, of course, Belle's favorite place, which housed all the books that were ever written in the kingdom. 

As for Beast, it had always been a great comfort for him to watch Belle, alive and safe, from afar, so he opted to work on his kingly duties in the library instead of in his private office. 

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. No need to worry.", the queen reassured him.

"You know you've never been able to fool me.", the king remarked, determined to help with whatever was troubling his wife, as he had always been doing the whole time they've been together.

Belle let out a soft chuckle. "That is true, nothing ever gets past you."

"So...", Beast began, prompting her to continue.

"It's a little project I've been wanting to start, that's all."

"Oh? Tell me more, and we can make it happen."

"I'm not sure you'll like the idea.", Belle said hesitantly.

"I'm sure it can't get any worse than what I tried to do with Olympus.", Beast said, laughing heartily as he remembered that whole fiasco with Zeus. 

Belle only smiled at him, wondering whether her proposal would really be a good idea. _'Here goes'_ , she thought to herself as she took a deep breath.

"I want to bring the children of the villains here, to Auradon."

"You want to _what_?", Beast bellowed as he stood up, earning a wince from Belle at the sudden raise of his voice. Nevertheless, she steeled herself. It was a plan she had thought long and hard of, and she was prepared for its outcome. 

"Exactly what I said. Bring their children here, and let them study at Auradon Prep. Give them a chance to live in Auradon.", Belle repeated firmly, standing up from her seat.

"But they're the spawn of our sworn enemies! They're evil just like their parents, and who knows what catastrophe they'll bring once we let them in? Our people could be in danger!", the king countered, vehemently protesting against what his wife was proposing.

"They're innocent children, Adam! Yes, it is possible that they may have been educated about the ways of evil on the island, but we can help them. Teach their young minds about goodness and kindness."

“Belle, we created Auradon 20 years ago, so we can finally live in peace and harmony, and you want to risk all of that? For the sake of _charity_ , of giving second chances?”

The queen’s facial features softened as she looked at her husband. “I gave you a second chance, didn’t I?”

Beast could not bring himself to reply. She was right, after all. “What about our subjects? What would they say?”, he tried to argue instead.

“If my plan succeeds, the kids may choose to live normally among us without any problem. If not, then I’ll handle the consequences, no matter what they may be.”

The king sighed, knowing this was one discussion he would not be able to win, not when Belle was this determined. “So which villain kids do you plan on bringing here?”, he asked.

Belle’s face lit up as it was clear that Beast had given her the go signal for her proposal. “I already have four in mind. The children of Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Evil Queen, and Maleficent.”

“Maleficent? But she’s the worst out of everyone on that island! Why would you choose her kid first?”

“That’s the point, darling. She is the worst, but if we can prove that her child can settle in nicely in Auradon, then we’ll have no problem with the rest of the children on the island.”, Belle explained.

The king sighed once more, though he couldn’t help but be proud of his queen. She really had thought this through, and he knew he could count on her to make it work. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”, he simply said.

“I won’t let you down, I promise.”, Belle replied.

Beast only walked over to where she stood and hugged her tightly, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? No matter what you do, you’d never be able to let me down.”, he whispered, chuckling.


	2. Chapter 2

Wiping sweat off her brow, Mal stepped back from the brick wall to admire her newly-finished piece of art. It was a graffiti painting featuring the all-too familiar silhouette of her horned mother bathed in green flames, along with the words "Long Live Evil!". 

"E, do you think the color blend's good? I think I mixed too much white into the green.", Mal asked her best friend. 

Hearing no response from the blue-haired girl that was supposed to be just beside her, Mal turned around to spot Evie flirting with a man she did not recognize.

"Evie!", Mal yelled, getting the other girl's attention. Evie sighed and bade the man good-bye, making a promise to see him around the island. 

"Way to go, M. He was such a total hottie, and you ruined my chance.", Evie grumbled as she made her way back to where her best friend stood.

Mal laughed. "Chance, my ass. You know you can get any man you damn well please."

Before Evie could reply, a door nearby opened with a loud bang, and a pudgy-looking man appeared through the doorway. "Hey! What are you girls doing to my wall?", he shouted angrily.

"Oh, this? You're welcome.", Mal replied, smiling sweetly. 

"Come here, you runts! I'll teach you a lesson.", he grunted as he cracked his knuckles. 

"Teach me a lesson? Ha! Do you even know who I am?", Mal laughed, not believing the guy's audacity. Even children knew not to mess with her.

"Like I give a damn—M-Mistress!", the man suddenly exclaimed as he dropped to his knees and groveled on the floor. 

Feeling a hostile presence behind her, Mal turned around and saw her mother, Maleficent, entering the area. "Mother! What are you doing here?", Mal called out, waving her hand in the air. 

"She’s your mother? You're the little Mistress?!", the man, still on his knees, sputtered incredulously. Mal only looked down at him and smirked. "Yes, I'm Mal, the little Mistress. Now, who's teaching who a lesson again?"

"Stirring up trouble, Pumpkin?", Maleficent asked, eyes narrowing at the man before them.

"You know me. So, what brings you here? Are you looking for me?"

"Come! I have big news.", the so-called mistress of evil announced. 

"I'll see you later, E.", Mal told Evie. 

"No, Evie will be coming with us too. Her mother is already at our house."

Mal and Evie exchanged looks of confusion. The Evil Queen was at Mal's house? What, in the name of evil, was going on?

* * *

The girls entered Bargain Castle, home to Maleficent and Mal, and saw that it was more than Evil Queen who was waiting for them. 

"Mom! What's going on?", Evie exclaimed as she rushed to her mother and gave her a quick hug.

"No idea, my sweet. Old Maleficent just suddenly ordered us to come here.", Evil Queen replied, holding up her mirror to check for wrinkles in her reflection. 

"Jay! Carlos!", Mal called out. "You're here too?"

"Yeah. Pops and I came from the junk shop when we saw Carlos and Madam De Vil on the way here. Turns out they were also headed to your place.", Jay explained.

"What's happening, Mal? Are we all gonna get spelled or something?", Carlos asked, hoping Maleficent won't turn him into a dog. 

"You know magic's not allowed on the island, Carlos. Quiet now, she's about to speak.", Cruella de Vil admonished her son.

"News came!", Maleficent declared. "From Auradon."

"Auradon?", Jafar echoed. "What, did they finally decide to kill us?"

"There's no way I'm willingly accepting that! Not until I get my hands on those dalmatians.", Cruella spoke up, her hands wringing in anticipation for the quality coats she'd surely get someday.

" _'Kill.'_ Such a ghastly word. Why can't everyone just focus on beauty?", Evil Queen remarked, as she examined her forehead intently through her mirror. 

"Shut it! I'm not done speaking.", Maleficent shouted. When everyone finally piped down and returned their attention to her again, she cleared her throat and continued. " _Queen_ Belle has proposed to bring children of villains to Auradon. Specifically, she asked for Evie, Jay, Carlos, and my daughter, Mal."  
  
Noise erupted in the room at once as everybody sprang into conversation. The villains, old of age but still sharp of mind, immediately plotted schemes for their own children.

"Evie! You must find and marry a perfect prince with a big castle full of mirrors. Although, I'm sure that won't be much of a problem for you.", Evil Queen ordered. "The time has come for you to inherit my magic mirror. Ask, and it will show you everything you want to know."

"Oh, Mom, thank you! I won't let you down, I promise.", Evie squealed as she carefully took her mother's mirror into her hands. 

"I’m not allowing you to go, Jay. I need you to stock the shelves in our store.", Jafar refused.

"But, Pops! Think of all the merchandise I can steal at Auradon. It will definitely get us a lot of coins.", Jay reasoned with his father.

"Carlos, my sweet boy! You find those wretched dalmatians, you hear me? Don't come back until you get me their fur! And, you can throw in a good snakeskin or two for my boots.", Cruella De Vil cackled.

"No way, Mom! I'm not going. I hear Auradon's full of dogs, and I sure as hell will not be going near them.", Carlos protested.

Mal only stared, dumbfounded, at the scene in front of her. She, living in Auradon? With all those prissy pink princesses? Never!

"I'm staying here on the Isle, Mother! I’m not going to some boarding school filled with princes and princesses.", Mal firmly said. 

Maleficent glowered, her eyes shining bright green. "Everyone is going, whether you like it or not!"

Her decree brought all the talking to a stop. Carlos only whimpered at his decided fate. 

"Uh, Mistress, if I may ask, when are we leaving?", Evie dared to speak. 

"Right now!"

As if on cue, a honk could be heard from outside, and everybody rushed to the windows to look at what the commotion was as civilians gathered noisily outside Bargain Castle. The villains and their children found themselves staring at a sleek black limousine with two small flags of Auradon flying on short poles mounted on each side of the car’s hood. No one on the island had ever seen a vehicle like this before. 

The front door on the driver’s side opened. A man in a black suit and dark sunglasses stepped out and waited in front of the house.

"It is time.", Maleficent announced. 

The rest of the villains bombarded their children with last-minute instructions before letting them go. Jafar reminded his son of his mantra in life “Whoever has the most gold makes the rules.”. Cruella De Vil listened as her son repeated the step-by-step process of properly storing fur. Evil Queen scrutinized her daughter’s eyebrows and deemed them to be perfect.

Maleficent only motioned for Mal to approach her.

"Mother, do I really have to go?", Mal pleaded.

"Yes, you will, and you will carry out my plan. Get me Fairy Godmother's magic wand and destroy the barrier surrounding the island. Do you understand?"

"What? No!"

" _No?_ Mal, this is our chance to finally be free. Don't you want to rule over Auradon by my side? Think of matching thrones, hers and hers crowns."

“I don’t want that, Mother. I just want to live peacefully.”

“But don’t you see, Mal? It can never be peaceful for us. All those heroes and princes and princesses booted us villains out here to this bug-infested Isle of the Lost, so _they_ could be the ones to live peacefully.”

Mal only looked down at the floor. Her mother was right. From the moment Auradon was created, things had never been easy for any of the villains. They were evil, but did they really deserve this? Was isolating them the only option to do?

“Fine. Whatever.”, Mal muttered. 

“That’s my nasty little girl! Now, I believe that my spellbook will be of some use in Auradon. I’m giving it to you.”

Mal stared in wonder as her mother brought out her spellbook, a brown and leather-bound book adorned on the cover with a golden dragon encircled in green and purple flames. She gingerly accepted it and browsed through the yellowed pages filled with spells and incantations of every kind.

“But I don’t know how to use it.”, Mal said.

“You just say the spell. Easy peasy. You’ve always had magic inside you, Mal. You’re a fairy, for evil’s sake! Now, off you go. Remember that the future of the free world rests on your shoulders. Don’t blow it.”

“Yes, Mother.”, Mal nodded as she closed the spellbook and clutched it close to her chest.

“Come on, M. Let’s go!”, Evie shouted from the doorway. Mal hurried to the front door and cast one last look on the island she grew up in. Her eyes finally settled on the kingdom of Auradon looming on the horizon, the view distorted by a shimmering golden barrier. 

She smiled inwardly as she entered the limousine, glancing at her mother looking on from the front of their house. _‘Evil is coming.’_


	3. Chapter 3

Mal was the first to step out of the limousine. The brightness of the sun made her squint, and she put her hand up to block it out in order to get a better view of her surroundings. 

She noticed the huge bronze statue of Beast, serving as the centerpiece of the front lawn sprawled before her. Beyond that was a tall, imposing building with a brick wall facade and hanging blue and gold banners, which she could only assume was Auradon Prep, the school they were to attend for the next several months. 

Groups of students had come out to welcome them, waving little flags and welcome sign boards in the air. A marching band was also there, playing an annoying tune Mal did not recognize. The fake smiles on everybody’s faces irritated her to no end.

A small group of people waited in front of the band, and they approached the limousine once all four villain kids had alighted. A middle-aged woman greeted them first. She was wearing a short-sleeved blue dress and a blue blazer with a violet velvet bow. "Welcome to Auradon Prep where goodness doesn’t get any better! I'm Fairy Godmother, the headmistress. I trust that the trip was pleasant?"

Mal smiled sweetly at the woman. _'She doesn't even look like she can do magic',_ she thought to herself.

"Hi, I'm Mal, and yes, it was such a comfortable ride. Thank you for your gracious hospitality.", Mal replied. 

Fairy Godmother was momentarily taken aback by Mal's response. She didn't expect the children of the villains, much less Maleficent's daughter, to be this well-mannered. 

"I'm Evie!"

"Yo, my name's Jay."

"Carlos."

Well, perhaps not all of them were _that_ well-mannered. Carlos had been busy with the sweets in the limousine, and it was evident in how he didn't even bother to wipe off the chocolate smeared around his mouth.

Fairy Godmother clapped once, and the marching band ended their performance and went back inside the school. "I'm sure you're excited to tour Auradon Prep, but I'm afraid I have important matters to attend to. But not to worry, I'll be leaving you in the capable hands of Prince Ben and Princess Audrey.", she said, gesturing to the boy in a double-breasted dark blue blazer and a girl in a pink dress behind her.

"Did she say prince?", Evie whispered to Mal, eyeing the boy from head to toe. Mal, however, was too busy glaring at the girl who seemed to be equally as engaged in staring at her threateningly.

"There's no need for such formalities, Fairy Godmother. You guys can just call me Ben.", the boy stepped forward to introduce himself as the old fairy left the students. He took the time to look at each of the villain kids in the eye. His gaze lingered a bit on Mal, his warm hazel-green on her icy bottle green. 

Jay was scrutinizing the princess’s appearance, and when she glanced at him, he sent a wink along her way. The girl visibly cringed in disgust.

"I'm Princess Audrey, daughter of Queen Aurora and King Phillip. I'm the _girlfriend_ of Prince Benjamin, son of King Beast and Queen Belle.", the girl on Ben's arm proudly said as she witheringly looked at Jay then stared knowingly at Mal. 

Maleficent’s daughter only smiled, appearing to be unfazed by Audrey's introduction. _'Ah, my sworn enemy. How cute.'_

"Why don't we go inside?", Ben suggested as he noticed the brewing tension between Mal and Audrey. His mother had specifically instructed him to help the villain kids settle in Auradon Prep. If this plan was to succeed, they might become his subjects in the future after all. 

The group crossed the spacious lawn and stood before the huge double doors that served as the entrance to the school. As they entered, the sight of a lobby with two curved staircases and hallways branching to the left and right greeted them. 

Another set of doors was located in the back which probably led to the rest of the campus grounds. People rushed about in the space, hauling their luggage or carrying papers and clothes.

"The school year's about to start on Monday, so you'll have plenty of time to settle in your dorm rooms and get familiar with the place.", Ben explained. 

The villain kids stared in amazement at their surroundings. Dragon Hall, the school they attended back on the Isle, was impressive, but Auradon Prep was on another level. It truly was befitting of a school for the descendants of heroes, princes, and princesses.

"Bennyboo, I have to go. The student committee meeting's about to start.", Audrey suddenly said. She tiptoed to give Ben a peck on the lips and took off to the right hallway, not even bothering to bid the villain kids farewell.

Mal and Evie looked at each other before chuckling to themselves. _'Bennyboo? What a joke.'_

Ben cleared his throat in embarrassment. “You'll find that Auradon Prep has a lot of facilities to offer. To name a few, we have a field out in the back, various studios, and numerous laboratories. Of course, everything is free for us to use. I could give you a tour of the whole property, but I believe exploring it yourselves would be more enjoyable, don't you think?"

The villain kids said nothing in reply, but they knew what he meant. No one really wanted to be with the children of villains. 

"Thanks, Your Royal, uh, Beastliness. We'll find our way around here somehow.", Jay spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I want you guys to meet Doug.", Ben said, gesturing to a tall boy with glasses waiting by the corner. Doug was dressed in golden boots, yellow pants, and a blue and white jacket with a big yellow A embroidered in the center and the word ‘KNIGHTS’ on top. Recognizing his outfit, the four realized that he was part of the marching band who welcomed them earlier.

"Doug, son of Dopey. It's nice to meet you all.", the boy introduced himself formally, bowing his head. 

"Doug here will be responsible for giving you your class schedules and showing you to your rooms."

"Right. All the dorm rooms are on the second floor, so if you could please follow me.", Doug took charge, gesturing to the staircase on the right. 

"Then, I'll see you around guys. If there's any problem, don't be afraid to tell me or Audrey.", Ben said.

"All right. Thanks, Bennyboo.", Mal teased with a smile before following Doug up the stairs. 

Ben blushed a light pink at the girl’s words, his eyes following the villain kids’ movements.

"Here are your class schedules.", Doug said once they reached the landing, handing them laminated cards. "You'll mostly be taking the core requirements, along with an elective of your own choice, since your learning competencies for the advanced classes haven’t been tested yet. I believe Fairy Godmother will be giving you an orientation about everything you need to know."

Next, Doug handed them black, compact objects. "And here are your phones."

The villain kids only stared at the so-called phones in confusion. 

"What are phones?", Jay asked as he pressed the circular button on the bottom of the object. His eyes widened in amazement as the screen lit up.

"You don't have phones on the Isle?", Doug asked, looking over at Carlos worriedly as the boy bit his phone.

"Nope.", Mal replied. She cautiously examined the phone in her hands, contemplating the idea that it might have been fitted with some kind of anti-villain magic. 

"Oh, uh, it's this sort of gadget that you can use to send messages or take pictures. I advise you to fully try out all the features and apps. It's really helpful.", Doug offered. 

"Hm. What a beauty.", Evie murmured, discovering the camera app and looking at her face through the front lens of her phone.

"Moving on, the building we're in is where the offices and dorm rooms are. All the classrooms, studios, and facilities are scattered throughout the other buildings, so make sure to check them out.", Doug began. "Auradon Prep's official app is already installed in your phones, and you can find an interactive campus map there."

The villain kids seemed to be engrossed with checking out their smartphones, so Doug decided to continue. "The right hallway is where the girls' rooms are, while the left is for the boys. We'll show you girls your rooms first."

"That's kind of unfair.", Jay grumbled.

"Sorry, Jay. He's a real gentleman, unlike you.", Evie teased, winking at Doug. Dopey's son appeared to pay no attention to Evie's comment, but his ears turned a faint red.

The group walked along the right corridor and stopped at the sixth door on the left. Doug used a small brass key to unlock the door before grabbing the doorknob and twisting it. The door opened to reveal a spacious room filled with furniture and furnishings that were either in white or shades of pink. 

To the right, there were two four-poster beds and bedside tables, with a divan and a full length mirror in between them. Two cabinets for clothes and a vanity table were placed near the foot of the beds.

To the left, two study desks were placed against the room’s opposite walls, while a small dining set that could seat four people was set up in the space between. Behind that, there was a fireplace built into the wall, and a small flatscreen television was mounted above it. 

Flanking both sides of the fireplace, there was another door that remained closed on one side. An empty glass door cabinet was on the other with a banner of Auradon Prep hanging overhead. The room also had wide windows from which one could clearly see the school premises.

Mal and Evie hesitantly stepped on the carpeted floor. This was to be their dorm room? Heck, it was way bigger than both of their bedrooms back on the Isle combined! 

“Your things from the island will come by tomorrow. We weren’t really sure what you’d need or want, so we’ve decided to just put the essential furniture and basic furnishings. If there’s anything you’d like to change, just tell Housekeeping downstairs and they’ll do it for you.”, Doug explained. 

Carlos peered through the doorway. He marvelled at the size of the room, then a wistful expression appeared on his face. "I wish we had beds like those too.", he said longingly.

Confusion passed through Doug's eyes. "Of course you will."

The white-haired boy whooped in excitement. "Jay and I have never had a bed before.", he explained. "No one really cared whether I was warm, not even my mother."

Doug briefly glanced at the rest of the villain kids just to check if they were pranking him, but they all looked uncomfortable. His eyes returned to Carlos who seemed to be genuinely ecstatic about the idea of a bed.

He knew life on the Isle of the Lost was hard, but he had no idea to what extent were the difficulties that its inhabitants faced.

Trying to break the uneasiness that settled among the group, Doug changed the topic. He handed the key to the room over to Evie. “If you girls don’t have any questions, I’ll be showing the boys to their room now.”

“No further questions. Thanks, Doug! We’ll be seeing you around.”, Evie replied, giving the boy a warm smile. Doug bowed his head and closed the door as the boys filed out of the room.

Evie wasted no time and made a beeline for one of the clothes cabinets. She flung its doors wide open and gasped loudly at the garments, shoes, and accessories she found inside. 

“M, look at this! Oh, it’s so beautiful. I love this place already.”, Evil Queen's daughter sighed dreamily.

“You mean _gross_.”, Mal commented as she looked disdainfully at the beds covered with pastel pink sheets and the billowy pale pink curtains.

“Uh, yes, right, I definitely mean gross.”, Evie agreed out of loyalty to her best friend, but inside, she was bursting with excitement as she sauntered over to the vanity table.

Mal sat down on one of the beds, and she couldn’t help but feel amazed at how soft the mattress felt. She’d never admit it to Evie, or to anyone else for that matter, but Auradon really was a beautiful place. She had always wondered what it would be like living off the Isle.

The thought of actually starting a life here entered the girl's mind, making her momentarily forget about her mother’s evil plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything else, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my fic! This is the first story I've published online, so all your hits, kudos, and bookmarks really mean a lot to me.
> 
> I'd also like to remind everybody that updates will be posted every Friday. I hope you enjoy today's chapter!
> 
> ~ astryl

The school year was to finally start today. 

Within the past few days, the villain kids settled into their new life in Auradon. The boys wasted no time in getting a gaming console. One of the dorm rooms had been open when Doug led them through the boys’ hallway. Upon peering in, Jay and Carlos had seen other kids hunched in front of their television screens, playing some sort of game. They begged Doug to get them one of those, so Dopey's son had no choice but to guide them on Housekeeping services. Soon, Jay and Carlos were busy smashing buttons on their controllers. 

They did go out of their room from time to time. When they weren't playing, Jay would be in the Fitness Center, trying out all the gym equipment. People steered clear of him because they knew who he was, but that didn't stop girls from freely ogling his well-built figure. 

Meanwhile, Carlos would be busy staying in the library. He had always been fascinated by science, technology, and math. The young boy regarded himself as a nerd, and he was all too happy to use the Internet which wasn’t available back on the Isle. 

On the other hand, the girls had immediately gotten to work on redecorating their room. Mal, of course, had wanted nothing pink, so she had her sheets and pillowcases replaced with a deep purple, while Evie had hers in royal blue. The draperies were changed to dark blue, and the sheer curtains were a plain white color. 

With the room finally according to their liking, Evie ordered a sewing machine and tools from the Housekeeping catalogue. She dragged out all the clothes from her, and even Mal's, cabinet to make modifications to their design and color. 

The bluenette also spent a lot of time on her phone, figuring out which app was for what purpose. Her favorites were the camera and Pixie, an app for socializing where you befriend people, make posts, or send messages. Evie gained popularity on social media as people began to get over their fear of her and realize how charming the girl could be.

On the contrary, Mal chose to keep to herself. Flipping through the pages of her mother's spellbook, she tested her magic capabilities by trying out all sorts of spells ranging from changing her hair color to levitating small objects.

When she got bored with that, she stayed in front of the television, switching from channel to channel. She was particularly interested in the art and cartoon ones. Evie had also practically forced her to create an account on Pixie, an activity Mal rushed to get over and done with. She didn't really want anything to do with her phone, believing that old hag Fairy Godmother might be spying on them.

More than anything else, the villain kids loved Auradon Prep’s cafeteria. It was full of all kinds of food that they had never tasted before, such as cupcakes and a chocolate fountain. The four were also honestly relieved that they wouldn’t have to steal food like they did at the goblin-run Slop Shop located in the Isle.

Of course, they weren’t in Auradon to just frolic and have fun. Being Maleficent's daughter, Mal had begun planning for their evil scheme. With help from Carlos, she found out that Fairy Godmother's magic wand was at the Museum of Cultural History. The place was heavily guarded as it contained artifacts previously owned by heroes and villains.

Seeing that there seemed to be no way of successfully getting the wand out without triggering security, Mal settled for another approach. With Carlos's help yet again, she learned that Fairy Godmother had a daughter named Jane who might have some information about whether her mother took out the wand from time to time.

"Mal, you really should be making more use of your phone. There's so much you can learn on Hollow. Tinkerbell was truly a genius to have invented it.", Carlos remarked as he referred to the search engine app on their mobile devices.

"Nonsense. There's no way I'm touching that phone. You'll be sorry once they find something and send you back to the Isle.", Mal snorted.

The Fairy Godmother also visited them to give an overview on the courses they have to take in Auradon Prep, as well as to help them in choosing their elective classes. 

"Electives change every semester, but you'll find that all of them are helpful in obtaining various skills.", the headmistress explained.

Mal had gone with Graphite Sketching, Evie had chosen Pattern Making, Jay had thought Jousting would be interesting, and Carlos had taken on Basic Chivalry. 

"Your schedules are automatically updated with these classes. Now, if there's no more questions, I'll see you all at 8 AM on Monday for Remedial Goodness 101."

* * *

It turned out that Remedial Goodness 101 was a new course specifically created for the villain kids and taught by Fairy Godmother herself. Mal could tell it would be a very boring and _useless_ class indeed. Jay had to use all his willpower not to fall asleep over learning how to be good so early in the morning.

After the class had ended, the four stood outside the classroom. “Ugh, of course they would try to teach us to be good.”, Mal scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“I have Chemistry next. What about you guys?”, Evie asked as she played around with the campus map on her phone to figure out where the Science building was.

“It’s free time for me.”, Carlos announced triumphantly, his bag slung on his shoulder. “I think I’m gonna get more sleep.”

“Uh, Safety Rules for the Internet.”, Jay said, his eyes squinting at his class schedule.

“History of Auradon. Great, another boring class.”, Mal groaned.

“Well, Miss Mal, it appears we both have the same boring class next. Come on then, we don’t want to be late.”, Fairy Godmother suddenly spoke up from behind them.

Mal went wide-eyed in embarrassment, while the rest of her friends tried to hold in their laughter. Her best friend gave her a small wave. “Good luck, M.”

* * *

Evie stared at the hot blonde guy from the table across hers. He was playing on his phone, obviously not paying any attention to the teacher. She nudged Doug who was sitting beside her.

“Hey, Doug. Who’s that hottie over there?”, she whispered, pointing subtly to the unknown guy’s direction.

Doug momentarily took his eyes off from the blackboard to look at whoever she was pointing at. “Oh, that’s Chad. Son of Queen Cinderella and King Charming.”

“He’s a prince then?”, Evie asked, her eyes gleaming.

“Yes, though it doesn’t really seem like it.”, Doug replied. The girl only continued to gape at Chad dreamily, not even noticing Doug’s mean comment.

“Miss Evie! When you were brought here from the Isle, you are expected to study, not stare off into space.”, Mr. Deley, the Chemistry teacher, suddenly shouted.

Startled, Evie straightened up. She could hear the other kids laughing softly from behind her. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

“Perhaps this is just a review for you. Can you answer the question on the board?”, he asked, challenging her.

Evie shifted her attention to the problem written on the board and saw that it was just a simple question of calculating the molar mass of an unknown element. Punching a few buttons on her calculator, she spoke up. “180 grams per mole, Sir.”

Mr. Deley was surprised that Evie knew how to answer the question. Humiliated, he cleared his throat. “Right. Uh, very good. I forget that it’s always a mistake to underestimate a villain.”

“Don’t make it again, _Sir_.”, Evie said, beaming. Miss Yzma back at Dragon Hall would surely be proud of her. She stole another glance at Chad and found that he was also looking at her. The bluenette blushed at the eye contact but remained attentive to the lesson.


	5. Chapter 5

A rather uneventful week had passed since the first day of the school year. Homeworks had begun to pile up, and the students and professors alike steered clear of the villain kids out of fear.

Typical.

Still, that made things easier for Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. After all, since no one wanted to be near them, getting a table in the cafeteria during lunch became easy. 

More importantly, Mal was not having any progress with meeting Jane, and her frustration was steadily increasing. Evie had shown her a picture of the girl taken straight from Jane’s Pixie account, but Mal never saw her in any of her classes or anywhere on campus.

Just as the bell rang signaling the end of fourth period, Mal bolted from her seat and went straight to the bathroom. A girl wearing a ruffled blue dress with a pink bow in the center stood in front of the mirror. Upon looking at the girl’s reflection, Maleficent’s daughter immediately recognized her.

It was Jane.

The gods of evil must have blessed Mal today. She approached Fairy Godmother’s daughter and tried her best to appear friendly. 

“Hey. You’re Jane, aren’t you?”, Mal asked, attempting to start a conversation. “I’m Mal.”

Jane squeaked, unable to answer as she realized who was talking to her. Her shoulders visibly stiffened in terror.

"There’s no need to be afraid. I just want to make friends.”, Mal offered, smiling.

"O-Oh. How did you know me?", Jane asked warily, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Who wouldn't? I mean, Fairy Godmother is legendary. Of course, we'd know about her descendants."

"I’m not exactly great like my mom. I’m nobody, but you’re the one who everyone knows about.”

"Bah! Nothing interesting about me. Let's talk about you.", Mal said a little too cheerily for her own taste. "How does it feel being Fairy Godmother's daughter? Does she go bibbity bobbity boo on you too with her magic wand?"

"I wish! But the king and queen have discouraged the use of magic since Auradon was formed. They want us to rely purely on our own talents. All magic items are at the museum now, including my mom's wand."

"That's too bad. Doesn't she make an exception for you? I'm sure she has the authority to take out her wand every now and then."

"Nope, never. She does take her wand out once a month or so and brings it to her office to maintain it, but she's never used it for magic. She believes that real magic is in the books."

Mal struggled to contain her excitement at the information she learned. Jane was such an easy and naive prey. 

"Tell you what—unlike your mother, I can work my magic on you. How about it? Do you want some new hair?", Mal suggested, bringing out her spellbook.

Jane's eyes widened in shock. "Can you? I mean, um, I don't think you're allowed to do magic."

"Don't worry! This old spellbook only has harmless spells. Now, where's that about new hair?", Mal muttered, flipping through the pages. "Aha! Here it is."

The purple-haired girl cleared her throat and recited the needed incantation for the spell. She flicked her fingers and her eyes glowed a bright green as she casted her magic. “Beware, forswear, replace the old with new hair!”

Jane felt the change at once. Her straight, shoulder-length hair became longer, its tips curling and framing her face perfectly . "Oh my goodness, look at those curls! Thank you, Mal!", she squealed, taking Mal's hands into her own. 

"No. Thank _you_ , Jane. You don't know how much you've helped me.", Mal replied, smiling knowingly.

* * *

Carlos eyed the tourney field warily, his body leaning against the lockers. He made a face as soon as he saw the assistant coaches setting up the dragon cannons.

"I don't want to do drills today.", Carlos moaned.

"It's just passing and scoring.", Jay remarked as he tried to stash his bag inside his overflowing locker filled with a collection of items he had stolen from different locations inside Auradon Prep.

"But Coach is having us dodge those dragon fires for the first time!", Carlos whined.

"Just dodge them then.", Jay said, not quite understanding what the younger boy’s problem was.

"Easy for you to say! You're so athletic that you can probably dodge them with your eyes closed."

As Jay finally managed to close his locker door, he turned to his friend and shrugged. Jafar’s son had an aptitude for sports, and he had no problem with doing physical activities. Carlos, on the other hand, had always been physically weak, and he’d rather spend his time reading a book than playing tourney. 

The two jogged over to the field and lined up with the rest of their classmates who were waiting for Coach Jenkins to start their gym class.

"As I said last time, we'll be having drills on passing and scoring. However, we'll also be using the dragon cannon today.", the coach announced. "You have to learn how to dodge the dragon fires and be aware of your surroundings if you want to score. Each of you will take turns being inside the kill zone today. Do warm-up exercises for 15 minutes, then we'll start. Understood?"

"Yes, Coach!", the students shouted in unison. Each of them found a comfortable spot on the field and began their own stretching routines. Most of them then proceeded to run several laps around the area, Jay included, while Carlos chose to jog after the group half-heartedly. 

After 15 minutes had passed by, the class was made to form teams of 4. Each group was to simulate passing across the field, and the goal was for every player to go through the kill zone and try to score a point.

When it was Carlos's turn to score, the ball ricocheted right off his helmet as his teammate passed it to him, but he was fortunately able to catch it with his tourney stick. He ran into the kill zone, screaming and desperately trying to balance the ball on his stick. He was barely able to dodge the first projectile, while the second one got him. 

"Keep your eyes open, Carlos!", the coach instructed him. 

Meanwhile, as expected, Jay's turn went by flawlessly. He caught the pass squarely with his tourney stick and dodged the dragon fires without any difficulty, ending his turn with a score to the net. The coach nodded his approval at the boy’s performance.

At the end of the class, Coach Jenkins gathered his students for an announcement. "As you all know, I serve as the coach for the Auradon Fighting Knights, our school’s official tourney team. For all those who are interested in trying out for the team, you are welcome to join us during our first practice next week. The team members, assistant coaches, and I will be assessing your abilities. That would be all, dismissed."

The students lumbered out of the field, their feet shuffling tiredly after a strenuous session of tourney. Carlos couldn’t be happier that gym class was done for the week, and he was looking forward to taking a hot bath tonight to soothe his aching muscles. 

“Hey, do you want to order pizza later? I feel like I could eat a whole box.”, Carlos exclaimed hungrily to Jay. “Let’s invite the girls too and have a sleepover, just like old times.”

There was no reply to his question, and Carlos turned to look at Jay beside him who seemed to be deep in thought.

“Jay, everything alright? It isn’t like you to think at all.”, Carlos teased as he nudged Jafar’s son with his elbow.

“Should we go to the tourney tryouts? It sounds like fun.”, Jay said, choosing not to respond to his friend’s insult.

Cruella De Vil’s son shook his head vehemently. "No way! You definitely should but not me."

"I'm not going there alone. I'll drag you even if you protest.", Jay said smugly.

"No!", the younger boy cried out, though he knew that it was pointless no matter how much he refused, especially when Jay’s mind was already made up.

Carlos groaned loudly as he saw Jafar’s son grinning wickedly at him. He absolutely hated tourney.


	6. Chapter 6

Aside from Pattern Making, Chemistry was another class Evie looked forward to. She was naturally good at it, and she had no problem with understanding the lessons. Of course, it was also the one subject she shared with Chad. Exchanging glances became a thing between her and him, but neither of them talked to each other outside of the classroom.

Evie wanted to approach him already, but her mother's words echoed in her mind. 'Never be the first to approach. Make yourself appealing, so no man can ever resist you.'

The blue-haired girl had a bit of free time after fifth period which she usually spent at the Fashion Design Studio to work on a new design or modify a garment. Today, however, she decided to go outside to the picnic tables by the locker area. 

Much to her delight, Evie found Chad sitting on one of the tables. She immediately pulled out her pocket mirror from her purse to check if her make-up was perfect. Once she was satisfied, the girl walked up to him, ignoring her mother's voice in her head. After all, it was a rare chance for her to see him alone like this. Being a popular prince, he would always be surrounded by people. A golden opportunity had presented itself before her, and how could she ever refuse it?

"Hi. You're Chad, right?", Evie asked, smiling sweetly. Chad turned to look at her. 

"I'm Evie. We’re classmates in Chemistry." she continued, extending her hand out to introduce herself. 

"I know. With such a beauty like yours, I can't help but notice you in class.", he said, flashing her a dimpled smile. 

Evie blushed red at his words. Was Chad finally the prince of her dreams?

"What are you doing out here?", she asked, sitting beside him.

"Just thinking. I have a lot on my mind."

"Care to share?"

"Well, we have an upcoming tourney game with Sherwood Forest. There’s an old school rivalry between us and them, so everybody's feeling the pressure to win.", he explained.

Evie remembered from the times she spent stalking Chad's Pixie account that he played as forward for Auradon Prep's tourney team. "I'm sure you guys will do well!"

"Thanks, Evie. But the problem isn't with the game itself. It's just that my academic standing might be in danger since I have practice and all.”

"Oh no. Is there anything I can do to help?", she offered worriedly.

"No, I don't think so.", he replied sadly. Chad's eyes suddenly lit up. "Or maybe there is. You know how Mr. Deley always gives problem sets at the end of the week? They're not that difficult for me, but they just take up so much of my time."

"I can do it for you if you want! Not to brag, but Chemistry's kind of my forte.", Evie suggested. 

"Really? Thanks, Evie! You're a lifesaver.", Chad exclaimed, giving her a little wink. "I'm afraid I have to go. My class is starting in a bit."

The blonde boy waved good-bye to her as he returned inside the school. Evie lifted her hand to wave back, but her heart was beating so fast that it was taking all her willpower not to fall over.

* * *

Mal’s little trick with Jane spread like wildfire among the students of Auradon Prep. It attracted the attention of other young girls who wanted to have their hairstyles changed as well. Nevermind the fact that they were willingly approaching Maleficent’s daughter; they envied how much Jane’s looks had improved with her luscious, new hair. 

Her latest customer was a younger girl who ambushed her in front of her locker. It took every bit of Mal’s sense of morality not to curse the girl right there and then. 

“Beware, forswear, replace the old with new hair!”, Maleficent’s daughter chanted the words, her eyes glowing a bright green whenever she did magic. She had repeated the spell for better hair countless times that the line was practically stuck in her head.

“Thanks, Mal!”, the girl exclaimed, her eyes gleaming as her fingers ran through her hair. “That would be fifty jewels, right?”

The girl handed Mal a pouch of jewels which served as her payment for the new hair. If the whole female population of Auradon Prep would be requiring Mal’s services, it would only seem right that she should be properly compensated for it. 

Mal only smiled and graciously accepted the money before tossing it inside her locker and returning to decorating the compartment. She had decided on remaking the graffiti painting of her mother’s shadow on the door of the locker. Once the girl was out of earshot, she muttered sarcastically. “No problem. Auradon Prep’s resident hairdresser, at your service!”

“Seems like you’re the new popular girl.”, a voice from behind her teased. Mal spun around, only to be met with the sight of Ben grinning down at her. She peeked beyond his shoulder and saw Audrey and some blonde guy she didn’t recognize standing a few feet behind, probably not wanting to converse with her.

Mal nodded in the direction of Ben’s companions. “What’s up with your friends? Too scared to come and say hello?”

Ben rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Audrey’s become crabby ever since the new hair thing started. Something about everybody looking good and she getting left behind. The blonde one, Chad, he’s still adamant with villain kids in Auradon.”

Mal couldn’t help but grin upon hearing how her actions have managed to piss off Audrey. 

“Then have you come for a new hairstyle too, Your Highness?”, she asked cheekily, waving her finger around and staring at his honey brown hair. “I think a mohawk would be nice. What about you?”

Ben laughed at her antics. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m quite happy with the hair I’ve got.”, he responded. “Actually, I just wanted to invite you, Evie, Jay, and Carlos to a garden party next week.”

“With fancy tea and scone? We’d rather pass; it’s not really our thing.”, Mal replied.

“My parents will be there. I was thinking it might be a good chance for you guys to meet them, especially my mom, since she’s the reason why you’re here.”, he explained.

Mal did hear that Queen Belle was the one who had wanted the villain kids to come to Auradon. Thinking about it, attending a garden party didn’t seem to be such a bad idea. People would probably only be playing lawn games and drinking tea. What’s the worst that could happen?

“Alright, we’ll be there. Plus, I know Evie would be dying to try out new outfits, and Jay and Carlos would gladly pig out on the pastries.”, Mal mused.

“Great! I’ll see you there then.”, Ben replied happily. He gave Mal a wide smile and a wave good-bye, which oddly made her heart skip a beat. As he returned to his friends, Audrey glanced at Mal irritatedly before walking away.


	7. Chapter 7

“E, how’s the wand?”, Mal asked urgently from where she lounged on the bed.

Evie, obviously annoyed, looked at Mal through the mirror on the vanity table. “You just asked that five minutes ago! And no, the wand hasn’t moved. It’s still in the museum.”, she informed the impatient purple-haired girl as she threw the magic mirror onto the mattress. 

Mal grabbed the mirror from where it landed and confirmed for herself that what Evie said was true. Ever since her conversation with Jane, she had been pestering Evie nonstop to check if Fairy Godmother had taken the wand out of the museum. She was itching for an opportunity to steal the magic item right under the old hag’s nose.

“Can you please sit properly? You’re getting your attire all rumpled up!”, Evie exclaimed as she stood up and walked over to where Mal was. 

Mal rolled her eyes and sat up straightly, smoothing out the creases in her purple and blue bolero jacket as she did so. She was used to hearing Evie scold her when she wasn’t taking good care of her clothes, which was practically all the time. “You don’t understand, E. This is my one chance to prove to my mother that I am as evil as her. I want her to be proud of me.”

“M, I know that, but it’s all you ever stress about these days. Forget about it for a moment and just have fun at the party.”, Evie reasoned with her. “Now, are you sure you don’t want any more make-up? I think a bit of mascara would really make your eyes pop.”

“I’m fine with what I have on, thank you very much.”, Mal replied, gesturing to the lavender eyeshadow, light blush and nude lipstick she had on. “It’s just a garden party, E. Why are you fussing so much over it?”

“ _Just a garden party?_ M, we’d basically be in the company of royalty! The least we could do is look presentable.”, Evie argued.

Mal held her hands up. She didn’t want to bother reasoning with Evie especially when it came to dressing up. Fashion had always been her best friend’s forte. From an early age, Evil Queen had already taught her how to dress and put on make-up.

Being the fairest of them all was the one thing that mother and daughter cared about the most. Evie took it upon herself to create her own clothes because she wanted to wear only the best outfits. As her passion for fashion designing grew, Evil Queen’s daughter also made clothes for her friends.

Mal’s phone suddenly chimed, and she took a peek at the screen to view the notification. “Jay and Carlos are already downstairs. Can we please go now?”

“Just a sec.”, Evie muttered, standing in front of the full length mirror to give herself, clad in a blue-green and black pouf dress, one last rundown. “Okay, all set.”

* * *

The group of four entered the gardens of Auradon Prep. Long buffet tables decorated with cream tablecloths paired with pastel-colored table toppers had been set up in the grass. A variety of food was placed atop them, including quiches, trifles, madeleines, sponge cakes, finger sandwiches, and of course, the quintessential scones.

The party was already in full swing, and a good number of people had already arrived. Waiters milled about the area, carrying trays of teapots filled with multiple types of teas, such as earl grey and chamomile. 

Majority of the guests were seated at small round tables, engaging in conversation with other attendees and indulging in food and drink. A small crowd had also gathered in the space adjacent to the tables, watching what seemed to be an ongoing game of croquet.

“I think I’m going to puke.”, Mal said, staring at the scene before her. 

“What do you mean? This party looks absolutely adorable!”, Evie gushed, amazed.

Carlos inhaled the air, his lips smacking in hunger when the scent of baked goodness filled his nostrils. “Do you guys smell that?”

“We stuff ourselves full, then we puke.”, Jay planned.

“Hey! You guys made it.”, a voice exclaimed from beside them. The villain kids turned their heads and saw a grinning Ben, dressed in a royal blue suit, approaching them.

“I’m sure you’re excited to head in, but I’d like you all to meet my parents first.” Before the group could process his words, the prince stepped aside, letting the king and queen of Auradon stand before them.

“Dad, Mom, this is Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Guys, these are my parents.”, Ben introduced.

The four stared in awe at King Beast and Queen Belle. They hurriedly tried to bow in front of the two, Mal and Jay dipping their heads a bit and Evie and Carlos bending their upper body downwards way too much. No one had really taught them manners, much less royal protocol. 

Smiling, the queen took a step forward. “Hi, I’m Belle, and I’m really happy to meet the four of you.”

There was a brief silence before she turned around to glance knowingly at her husband. The king cleared his throat and stiffly greeted them as well. “I’m Beast, the ruler of this kingdom.”

Belle rolled her eyes at his introduction. “I received reports that you’ve adjusted quite nicely here in Auradon. Still, if you run into any problem at all, you can tell my son or Fairy Godmother. I’m afraid I spend most of my time at the castle, but should you ever need me, I’ll gladly be of help.”

The villain kids nodded in response. No matter what Gaston said about Belle back on the Isle, they could finally confirm that none of them were true. Even from just her words and voice, there was no doubt that she truly was kind-hearted.

“Now, we don’t want to keep you waiting. Go on and enjoy the party. A word of advice though, the cinnamon scones are to die for.”, Belle said, winking.

The group murmured their gratitude to the couple, and after another round of sloppy bowing, Ben herded them off towards the party. 

“Wow.”, Carlos breathed. “She only met us five minutes ago, but I felt genuine compassion from her.”

“I can see why everyone would want her to be the queen.”, Evie agreed.

“She can be a beast sometimes.”, Ben joked. 

Not wanting to talk about the queen any longer, Mal butted in. “So what do we do now?”

“I’m definitely trying those scones.”, Jay replied, immediately taking off to head to the buffet. 

“Me too! I can’t wait to try the cinnamon ones.”, Carlos said as he ran to catch up with his friend.

“I think I spot Doug over there. I’m gonna go say hi.”, Evie said. The bluenette strolled over to greet Dopey’s son who was sitting at a table.

“I guess that leaves just the two of us.”, Ben mused as he watched the three head off to their destinations.

“I guess.”, Mal echoed uncomfortably. She didn’t really want to be left alone with the prince.

The two walked in silence, staring at the ongoing party.

“Tell me something about yourself.”, Ben suddenly said. Mal gave him a blank look, and a chuckle escaped from his lips. “I just realized I really don’t know that much about you.”

“Well, I’m 16.”, Mal began slowly. “I’m an only child, and I’ve only ever lived in one place.”

“Me too!”, Ben exclaimed teasingly. “Who would’ve thought we’d have so much in common?”

Mal laughed loudly, and the prince looked at her curiously.

“Do you … miss the Isle?”

Mal stared at the ground, contemplating his question. “I don’t know.”, she answered honestly. “A part of me still feels weirded out when I wake up to birds singing outside. Then there’s this other part of me that gets relieved when I look out the window, and I don’t see piles of trash and grimy children.”

Ben nodded and pursed his lips, unsure of how to continue. Doug had informed him of Carlos’s story about never having a bed before. There was a blatant disparity between living in the kingdom’s capital and on the Isle, and he knew better than to make the villain kids reminisce about their old lives.

“What’s it like being the prince?”, Mal asked, glancing at him.

“Tiring.”, the boy immediately responded without a second thought. “I’m to be crowned as soon as I graduate, and Dad has been giving me more duties, making me manage smaller problems of the kingdom in preparation for when I’m king.”

“Do you like being the prince?”

Ben paused for a moment, astonished at the girl’s unanticipated query. “No one’s really asked me that before.”, he said softly. “Ever since I was a child, I always knew I would one day be king of Auradon. It was my duty, and I suppose I kind of just went along with it.”

Mal nodded, understanding his situation. She felt similarly as Maleficent’s daughter. Everyone expected her to follow in her mother’s footsteps, and she accepted this at an early age. No one ever bothered to ask her whether she liked being evil or not.

“I don’t feel forced though. I do want to help the citizens of Auradon, and I can only hope that I’ll be a good ruler someday.”, he continued.

The purple-haired girl smiled up at him. “I know you will.”

The prince’s heart skipped a beat at her words. He looked down at her bottle green eyes and returned her smile.

“I hate to cut our conversation short, but I’m expected to entertain other guests.”, Ben said sheepishly. “I don’t think people would appreciate me only talking to you.”

“It’s alright, I understand. See you around, Ben.”

As he bounded off to talk to other people, Mal followed his movements with her eyes. She didn't expect to have such an honest and open conversation with him, and she couldn't really understand why she found it so easy to share her thoughts.

"You really are here.", someone suddenly spoke up from behind Mal. Recognizing the irritating high pitch as belonging to Audrey's, she turned around and saw the princess pushing an old woman sitting on a wheelchair.

Audrey suddenly smiled. "Well, I did hope you'd be here. Grammy, I'd like you to meet someone.” 

Grammy? If this old woman was Audrey's grandmother, then that would mean—

"Why are you here? Have you come to curse my family again? Go back to the Isle where you belong, Maleficent!", the old woman, Queen Aurora's mother, shouted hysterically. 

The loud voice of the old queen attracted the attention of the party guests. A crowd had begun to gather, and whispers erupted from the onlookers. From the corner of her eye, Mal could see Evie, Jay, and Carlos breaking through the throng of people to come to her aid. 

"Queen Leah, this girl is not Maleficent but Mal, her daughter. She is here under the request of Queen Belle herself. She means no harm.", Ben explained, hurrying to stand between Mal and the queen once he heard the commotion. 

The woman faltered upon realizing that she had made a mistake, but her eyes steeled and flashed with anger. "It doesn’t matter if she’s not the villainess herself. Maleficent is purely evil, and this spawn of hers is as rotten as well. By letting her in, you've endangered us all!", she cried out. At her words, the whispers began to grow louder, and the people looked at Mal in fear for what she would do to them and their families, to Auradon.

Maleficent’s daughter, however, remained composed. Seeming unfazed by the malicious words thrown at her, she stared at the woman straight in the eye, making the elder squeak in fear. "I see that my presence has disturbed you. I'll be taking my leave now."

Head held high, Mal abruptly walked out of the grounds with Evie, Jay, and Carlos closely following behind.


	8. Chapter 8

"Mal, wait up! Let's talk, please.", Evie called out. Her best friend was far ahead walking in a hurry before stopping in front of the Visual Arts building. The bluenette, along with Jay and Carlos, caught up with her, worry and concern reflected in their eyes.

"We don't belong here.", Mal said softly after a few minutes.

"That's just what the old queen thinks.", Carlos argued. 

"We don't belong here!", Mal repeated, shouting. "Can't you see? They can force us to take a bunch of goodness classes, but they will never accept us here in Auradon. To them, we will always be the evil kids of the evil villains."

The three couldn't bring themselves to disagree with Mal. Queen Leah’s outburst and the reaction of the guests at the party earlier were enough proof. 

"I want to be alone for a while.", Mal said as she entered the building. 

* * *

"Jay! Evie! Carlos!", Ben yelled. He jogged across the campus grounds towards where the three were. After he and his parents had pacified Queen Leah and decided to end the garden party early, he immediately went to look for the villain kids to check if they were doing okay.

"Yo.", Jay greeted. "Aren't you supposed to be back at the party?"

"We had to cut it short. Everyone was too rattled to continue.", the prince explained. "Where's Mal?"

"Inside.", Evie replied. "She's probably at the Drawing Studio."

Ben nodded, saying his thanks and marching through the glass double doors.

"We should warn you though. She told us not to disturb her.", Carlos spoke up.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, guys."

Ben made his way through the hallways and up the stairs to the studios located on the third floor. These rooms served as places where students can practice their skills. Being in the Visual Arts building, the studios here were, of course, for different forms of visual art, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and fashion designing.

He peered inside the open doorway of the Drawing Studio and saw Mal sketching on a drawing pad as she sat behind one of the easels.

He stepped into the room quietly. When Mal made no move to cast him out, he decided it was safe to speak. "Hey."

There was a long pause as Mal continued to draw. She turned a page in the pad, and Ben wondered if Mal was ignoring him. "Hey.", she finally replied. 

"Are you okay?", he asked hesitantly as he took a seat on one of the stools in front of the room. 

"I've been better.", Mal responded briefly, her eyes still focused on the drawing pad. 

Ben sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect that Queen Leah would react like that.”

Mal went silent, and the only sound in the room was of her pencil on paper as she drew. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure.", Ben replied. "So uh, you like art?"

The girl nodded. "I can't say I'm very good at it though. The only experience I have is with spray paint."

"What are you drawing?"

Mal noticeably stiffened. "Just the view from the window at our dorm room. What about you? Got any hobbies?"

Ben thought for a moment. Much of his time was spent on studying his lessons and doing princely duties, so he didn't really have many chances of exploring and focusing on activities that he liked.

"Sports, maybe. Particularly tourney."

"That's Auradon's official sport, right? Are you part of the school team?"

"I am."

"Jay has been telling us about the try-outs tomorrow. It's a good thing someone they know will be there then."

"He's joining? That's great! I'd love to have him on the team."

"And Carlos too, but I'm pretty sure Jay's just forcing him.", Mal added. "I'd appreciate it if you can watch over them tomorrow. Jay can be extreme, and Carlos is small and too much of a coward."

"I will. Don't worry.", the prince assured her, his heart warming at how Mal was looking out for her friends.

A soft ping suddenly sounded from Ben’s pocket. He took out his phone and saw that Evie had messaged him, asking how his talk with Mal was going.

“The others are still outside, you know. They’re worried about you.”, Ben informed gently. “Any moment longer, and Evie might storm in here herself.”

Mal laughed at his words. She could picture her best friend doing exactly that. The bluenette—no, all four of them had always been there to look out for each other.

“I guess we should go then.”, Mal said, standing up. She left the pencil on the easel and carefully ripped away the page she had been working on from the drawing pad. She rolled the piece of paper and held it in one hand.

Ben nodded, and they exited the studio together.

“Thank you, Ben.”, Mal mumbled as they walked down the stairs. 

“Anytime.”, he replied, smiling warmly at her. 

* * *

The girls and Ben returned to the main building where they had to part ways with him as the prince still had to drop by the administrative offices. Jay decided to go to the Fitness Center, while Carlos chose to spend the rest of the day at the library.

"Okay, spill. What happened in the studio with Ben?", Evie asked excitedly as soon as she and Mal had entered their room.

"What are you talking about? Nothing happened!", Mal denied. She put away the piece of paper she had torn off from the drawing pad on her study desk. "Besides, I thought you had your claws set on him."

"I gave up on him a long time ago after I met someone else in Chemistry class."

Mal's eyebrows raised upon hearing this information from her best friend. "I don't think you told me about this."

"Oops." Evie looked at her sheepishly. "I promise I'll tell you next time. This thing of yours with Ben is much more exciting!"

"There is no _thing_ between us.", Mal said pointedly. She climbed onto her bed and grabbed her mother's spellbook from the bedside table, flipping through its pages.

"M, I see the way his glances linger on you. He didn't have to check how you were doing after we left the party, but he did!"

"As far as I know, he checked up on all of us. Plus, he’s the prince! It’s his job to pacify his soon-to-be subjects.”, Mal countered. “Besides, even if he is interested in me, he's got that witch Audrey already! He's too much of a gentleman to leave her."

Evie sighed. "That last point I can't argue with."

Mal suddenly stopped skimming through the spellbook. "On second thought..."

"What? What is it?", Evie asked, confused.

"Maybe this can deal with that last point.", Mal announced triumphantly.

She held up the spellbook, showing Evie a page with the words "Love Potion" on top.


	9. Chapter 9

"E, can you taste the dough for me?", Mal asked, holding the bowl in her arms out to the bluenette. After showing Evie the spell for the love potion, Mal had immediately gone to the kitchen in the student lounge. Like all the other facilities in Auradon Prep, students were given permission to cook in here freely.

Evie shot Mal a hesitant look. "No offense, Mal, but I only see you as a friend."

"It's just the cookie itself, dummy. I haven't casted the spell yet.", Mal explained, thunking her best friend on the forehead. "I'm lacking one ingredient though. I need one tear of human sadness."

“Okay, but remind me why you’re doing this again?”

Mal sighed. “It’s revenge, E. With the prince wrapped around my finger, I can gain authority and show the people of Auradon that I’m the wrong person to mess with. And I absolutely cannot wait to see the look on Audrey’s face when her precious Bennyboo leaves her for me.”

“Uh-huh, and you’re sure you’re not doing this just because you want to get together with Ben?”, Evie clarified. 

“No!”, Mal exclaimed. “I don’t even _like_ him in that way. I’m just using—”

"Are you guys making chocolate chip cookies?", a girl butted in as she peered inside the kitchen. Mal and Evie looked at each other nervously, worried that the stranger had overheard their conversation.

"Sorry, I just smelled it and I couldn't help myself.", the girl said apologetically. "I'm Lonnie, by the way, daughter of Mulan."

The villain girls relaxed slightly as it seemed like Lonnie didn’t hear anything at all. "I'm Evie, and this is Mal.", Evie introduced. 

"Yup, I know who you are.", Lonnie said, grinning. "Anyway, can I taste your dough, please?"

Mal hesitantly offered the bowl to the friendly girl. Lonnie dipped her finger in and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes widened in satisfaction.

“It tastes delicious, Mal!", Mulan's daughter exclaimed. "I remember the chocolate chip cookies Mom used to make for me when I was a kid. Did your mom teach you how to bake? Is this her recipe?"

Mal looked at Evie uncomfortably. She didn't know how to answer that question. 

"Uh, Lonnie, our parents really don't make cookies for us. I don’t think they even know how to bake.", Evie explained. 

"Yeah, no, I understand, but I thought that even villains must love their kids."

The look on Mal and Evie's faces told Lonnie everything she needed to know. Her smile fell, and she began to sniff. "That's awful. It must have been pretty rough living on the Isle."

Mal saw tears building up in Lonnie's eyes, and an idea formed inside her mind. She carefully placed the bowl nearer to the girl, and as the tears fell down on Lonnie's face, one of them dropped into the bowl and onto the cookie dough.

"It's alright, Lonnie. Thanks to the queen, we get to live differently here in Auradon.", Mal said, flashing the girl a smile and quickly snatching the bowl away before any more tears could fall into it. The spell had specifically asked for one tear, and there’s no telling what would happen if it was not followed. 

Lonnie seemed satisfied with Mal's answer. "If you guys need anything, you can approach me, okay? And I want a taste of those cookies when they're done!", the girl said as she took her leave.

"That was unexpected.", Evie commented slowly as soon as Lonnie was out of earshot.

Mal agreed. "But she gave us what we needed. I just have to cast the spell, get the cookies in the oven, and it’s hello to Ben’s new girlfriend.”

* * *

"Jay, let me go!", Carlos yelped as Jafar's son held onto his shirt and dragged him towards the tourney field. 

Jay gave no reply to the younger boy and called out instead to a familiar face sitting on the bleachers. "Ben!"

"Hey, you guys came!", the prince greeted. "The practice will start soon. Just relax and do your best out there. Coach only wants to see if you can keep up with the team."

Jay nodded, his firm grip remaining on Carlos. "Alright, thanks."

After several minutes had passed, Coach Jenkins blew his whistle. The team, along with those who wanted to try out, gathered around him. "As usual, we'll begin with warm-ups to be led by our captain, Ben. Next, we'll be doing passing and blocking drills, followed by practice games at the end of today's session. Understood?"

"Yes, Coach!"

The coach blew his whistle once more, and Ben immediately took charge of doing warm-ups. The drills came next with Jay performing as excellent as the team members themselves. Carlos, on the other hand, barely got through them and was doing his best not to trip or fall over. 

For the practice games, the students were divided into teams of 7 consisting of four recruits and three members. Carlos and Ben were placed in the same group, while Jay was in another. These two teams were the first match-up.

During the first half, both teams scored a point. No one was taking the lead, and both sides were eager to make an advantage against their opponents. 

Jay impressed those who were watching with his hurdle maneuvers on the kill zone, but his teammates weren’t too happy with his performance as a member of the team. He rarely passed the ball to them, and he had too much fun blocking his opponents that he'd end up tackling some of his teammates too.

In the first few minutes of the second half of the game, Jay's team immediately scored a point. As the game progressed, it seemed like they were set to win, but Carlos and Ben's team managed to tie it out. 

Now, with only a minute left, the team of Ben and Carlos was on offense after getting the long ball. Their best scorer was Ben, and the final play was to get the ball to and clear the path for him. One of the recruits passed the ball to Carlos. 

Just as Cruella De Vil’s son caught it squarely in his hands, a small dog with light brown fur suddenly ran onto the field.

Carlos's eyes widened like saucers. "A dog!", he screamed. "He's going to kill me!"

Carlos ran like his life depended on it, forgetting that he was supposed to pass the ball to another one of the recruits. His feet pounded on the grass, and he passed teammates and opponents alike in a blur.

Jay saw what was happening and realized that this was an opportunity for Carlos. His friend was deathly afraid of dogs, and this sudden adrenaline rush could certainly work in his favor. "Carlos! Shoot the ball!", he shouted. 

Carlos entered the kill zone, and his ears became aware of the dog's barks behind him. The dragoneer immediately opened dragon fire on him, but he was able to dodge the projectiles with ease. He approached the opponents’ net and threw the ball.

The boy didn't even stop to check and see if the ball got past the goalie. The dog was the first thing on his mind, and he immediately climbed onto the bleachers to escape the little murderer.

The whistle blew, and the game was over. Carlos's shot did make it into the net, earning a point and allowing his team to win. The players on the field stayed silent for a few moments before erupting into cheers. Jay and Ben, along with the rest of Carlos's team, rushed up to the bleachers to clap Carlos on the back for his unexpected display of ability. 

The practice continued with the second match-up which ended faster than the first. Before dismissing them, Coach Jenkins gathered the students to give reminders about the next practice session and to announce those who successfully made it into the team.

Jay's name was the first to be called, earning an ear-splitting grin from Jafar's son. Surprisingly, Coach called Carlos lastly. A total of seven recruits were accepted, and the rest were allowed to leave the field. The coach proceeded to give the new members of the team some pointers on the skills that they lacked. 

"Jay, there's no doubt that you have excellent athletic skills and reflexes. I could definitely use a tough guy like you, but you have to remember that tourney is a team sport. You can’t just keep the ball to yourself all the time.”

“Coach, don’t you know the saying that _‘There’s no team in I’_ ”?, Jay asked, confused.

The coach laughed loudly. “Son, it’s the other way around. _‘There’s no I in team.’_. Who taught you that?

“My father.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t be surprised.”, the coach muttered. “Jay, think of the team as like your body. It has different parts, but they all need each other. There's seven of you out there on the field, and you need to learn how to work with others if you want to win."

The long-haired boy only nodded as he pondered over Coach Jenkins's words. The older man moved on to talk to Cruella De Vil’s son.

"Carlos, I began to think halfway into the session that you wouldn't last until the practice games.", he said, chuckling heartily. "Your last point earlier was one hell of a sprint. Given proper training, I believe that you have what it takes to help the team. The most pressing issue as of the moment is that you need to work on your stamina, understand?"

"Yes, Coach.", Carlos replied in a daze. He still couldn't believe that he had passed the try-outs. The coach dismissed the team, and the players began to leave the tourney field.

"Jay! Carlos!", Ben called out as he ran to catch up with the boys. He placed both of his arms on their shoulders and grinned widely. "Welcome to the team!"

"Thanks, Cap.", Jay replied.

"I have no idea what Coach saw in me. I'm gonna be dead meat during practices!", Carlos moaned.

"Don't worry, Carlos. I can work with you and help you train.", the prince reassured him. The younger boy shot him a grateful look.

"Is that Mal?", Jay asked, squinting his eyes. 

The other two followed Jay's gaze to a girl waiting by the locker area. She was waving her arm high up in the air at them, and as the boys neared her, they saw that the female was indeed Mal.

"Mal, what's up?", Carlos greeted. 

"How was the try-outs?", she asked, to which Jay and Carlos both gave her a thumbs-up. "Congrats, you guys!"

"Did you really come all the way here to ask us how we did? You could’ve just messaged us.", Carlos said dubiously.

"Well, not exactly.", Mal began. "I just wanted to give this to Ben as thanks for yesterday."

The girl held out a small blue box in her hands to the prince who looked surprised.

"You didn't have to get me anything.", Ben replied. "I only wanted to make sure you guys were fine, that's all."

"Are those cookies I smell?", Carlos asked, his nostrils flaring. "Ben, if you don't want them, you can give it to me."

"No!", Mal snapped. The three boys looked at her strangely. "Uh, I mean, I can always make more for you. These are just a few pieces I tried out today."

"Okay then. That's a promise!", Carlos conceded. Mal smiled at him nervously as she thought about the piling orders of cookies she promised to him and Lonnie. 

"I just really want to show my gratitude, Ben. But I understand if you don't want it. I'm sure everyone in Auradon knows that you're not supposed to accept anything that the villain kids give you." Mal said, slowly bringing the box away from Ben and closer to her body.

"No, no.", Ben quickly replied. "You've got it all wrong. I just don't think I deserve a gift like this. But if you insist, then I'll gladly accept."

The prince gingerly took the box from Mal's hands and smiled warmly at the girl. He opened the container, and his mouth broke into a wider smile as he saw chocolate chip cookies inside. "Thanks, Mal! I definitely needed these after that practice."

Ben picked up one and popped it whole into his mouth. 

"Uh, how is it?", Mal asked tentatively. "Do you feel ... different?"

"Double chocolate chip!", he exclaimed. "It's soft and chewy, just the way I like it."

"Oh man, I think I want a taste too.", Jay murmured. Maleficent's daughter heard his comment and sent a glare along his way, effectively shutting him up. The long-haired boy realized that the girl was prickly about giving the cookies to anyone else, and he made a mental note to himself to question Mal about it later.

"I'm afraid I have to take my leave now.", Ben said apologetically. "Thanks again for this, Mal, and I'll see you at the next practice, Jay, Carlos."

The three nodded in acknowledgement, and Ben jogged towards his locker to get his things. “Do you guys want to get dinner?”, Mal asked, turning to her friends. Her lips were curled into a small smile, indicating that she was in a good mood.

“I think I’m gonna pass. I still have homework to do.”, Carlos turned her down.

Mal’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “ _Homework_? You do know that’s like way beneath us, right? When the villains take over Auradon, there will be no more homework to do.”

"Are we really letting the villains out of the Isle? Mal, it's not so bad here, you know.", Jay spoke up quietly.

"Are you insane? Long live evil! We're mean, awful, bad news! Rotten to the core, remember?", Mal reminded them.

Jay and Carlos looked at each other before nodding at her, doubt and thoughts of goodness gone from their minds. "Rotten to the core."


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh. My. Evilness. MAL!", Evie screamed. Carlos and Jay, who were hanging out in the girls’ dorm room, focused their attention on the bluenette upon her outburst. 

" _What?_ ", Mal asked, annoyed, as she looked up from doodling on her spellbook to see her best friend's eyes shining in exhilaration.

"It looks like your little love potion worked.", Evie said smugly.

“Hold up.”, Carlos asked in confusion. “What love potion?”

“The cookies!”, Jay’s eyes widened in realization. His mouth broke into an impish grin. “You spelled Ben! Wicked.”

"E, what do you mean? How did you know?", Mal asked, ignoring the boys’ comments. She hadn't seen Ben ever since she gave him the cookies yesterday. 

Without another word, Evie handed Mal her phone. It was open on Ben's Pixie account where he had made a recent post. Carlos and Jay immediately crowded around the girls, trying to sneak a peek on the gadget.

The prince had tagged Mal's username, along with the question 'Will you go on a date with me?'

Mal almost dropped Evie's phone in shock. "It worked!", she screamed eagerly. 

"What are you waiting for? Go on, answer him.", Carlos prodded.

Handing back the phone to Evie, Mal grabbed her own. She hurriedly opened Pixie and tapped out a short reply to Ben's post. 

“What did you say?”, Evil Queen’s daughter asked excitedly.

“Uh, _‘yes’_?”, the purple-haired girl replied hesitantly.

“That’s it? Mal, you’ve got to put in more feeling!”, Evie demanded. 

“Wait, Ben replied.”, Jay announced, his eyes glued on Mal’s phone screen. “He said _‘She said yes!’_ ”

A short laugh escaped from Mal’s lips. “He is such a goofball.”

“Oh? Looks like someone has a little crush on a certain somebody.”, Carlos remarked.

“I like Ben. He has my approval.”, Jay agreed, nodding slowly. 

“Stop it, you guys! I do not have a crush on him.”, Mal said firmly. “E, what ideas have you been putting into their heads?”

Evie held both of her hands up in defense. “I haven’t been saying anything. M, you clearly like him.”

"As if.”, Mal denied. “More importantly, I’d give anything just to see Audrey's reaction right now."

"Nevermind her. You got yourself a prince, M!", Evie squealed.

“And the most important prince in Auradon, if I may add.”, Carlos reminded.

“Do we have to start calling you _‘Your Royal Highness’_ now?”, Jay teased.

"Guys, come on, this is just a little evil on the side. Remember, we still have a bigger plan to do.", Mal replied. 

"Oh, that reminds me. I still haven't checked on the wand today.", Evie said.

Evie retrieved the magic mirror from her bedside table and prompted it to show her the magic wand. Upon seeing the velvet pillow it rested on instead of the pedestal at the museum, she immediately knew that Fairy Godmother had finally taken it out. 

"It’s gone!”, Evie hurriedly informed her friends. “She took it out. It must already be at her office downstairs."

The gears in Mal's head turned as she formulated a plan. The old fairy would be easy to distract. Years of living like ordinary people with no magic had surely dulled the senses of the people in Auradon.

“It’s finally time to blow this popsicle stand.”, Mal declared, smiling maliciously as she thought of how evil was on her side today.

* * *

Evie hummed a merry tune as she skipped across the campus grounds with a folder clutched to her chest. After leaving Mal and the boys to come up with a plan to steal Fairy Godmother’s wand, she headed to the picnic tables by the locker area, a spot she visited weekly to hand Chad his Chemistry problem sets that she had answered herself.

Ever since he had asked that favor from her, Evie painstakingly did all the weekly problem sets for him. Of course, they weren’t difficult for her, and she was only too happy to help him. Her heart would always skip a beat whenever they met, as if they were secret lovers on a rendezvous.

The number of their interactions had also increased greatly. Chad never failed to greet her and strike up a small conversation in class before Mr. Deley arrived. Whenever they passed by each other in the hallways, he would make sure to wave and smile at her.

Oh, just one little smile from him made Evie absolutely weak in the knees.

She began to move faster as she thought about seeing him today. Ben’s earlier invitation to Mal popped into her head, and she wondered whether she would be as courageous as him to make a confession like that. Well, aside from the fact that he was technically under the love potion spell.

Evie neared the picnic tables, and she could see Chad perched on one as he scrolled through his phone.

“Chad!”, the bluenette called out, waving her arm in the air as she approached him.

“Hey, Evie.”, Cinderella’s son greeted her warmly.

“Here’s the problem set.”, she breathed out, handing over the folder.

Chad’s fingers brushed against Evie’s as he took it. The girl felt her cheeks grow warm at the brief contact. The prince opened the folder and scanned through the papers inside. With a grin, he looked up at her. “Thanks, sweetheart! You really are a lifesaver.”

Evie’s heart began to beat faster at his words. She thought of her encounters with him—all those glances, warm smiles, and little touches. Did she dare hope that he felt the same way she did?

“I guess I’ll see you in class, Evie. I still have to run an errand for Mom.”, Chad said. He stood up and turned to leave.

The girl took a deep breath. _‘Come on, Evie! It’s now or never.’_

“Chad? I have something to say.”, she said softly.

The blonde looked back at her curiously. “Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”, she replied. Evie stared at his sky blue eyes, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. 

“I just want to say that I like you, Chad.”

A blank expression took hold on Chad’s features before a smirk worked its way on his lips.

“I’m flattered, Evie, but I don’t feel the same way.”

Evie tried to hide the hurt she felt from showing on her face. “W-What? Then, what were all those signs you gave around me? The touches, the smiles? _‘Sweetheart’_? I-I thought…”

“You know, for a girl so smart, I’m surprised you still haven’t figured it out by now.”

“Figure what out?”

“I was using you, Evie. I only needed you to do these stupid problem sets, so I kept you on the hook. I never thought you’d be stupid enough to actually confess.”

“B-But…”

“I don’t want you talking to me again, understand? I’m with Audrey now, and she won’t appreciate your annoying presence.”

Chad walked away from the picnic tables, and Evie let the tears she had been desperately trying to hold to finally fall down on her face.


	11. Chapter 11

Mal took a deep breath as she strolled through the hallways of Auradon Prep's main building. Her destination was Fairy Godmother's office, and her target was the old hag's wand. The villain kids had deemed that the best course of action was for Mal to steal the magic item herself, and the boys had been prepping her for this moment.

She stopped in front of the office door and knocked softly. 

"Come in.", Fairy Godmother said from inside. Mal gripped the knob and opened the door, peering into the room. She saw that the older woman was sitting behind a desk.

The fairy looked at her in surprise. "Mal! Is something the matter, child?"

"Oh no, nothing too serious, Fairy Godmother. I just have a question about our last quiz in Goodness class.", Maleficent’s daughter assured her.

Fairy Godmother placed the papers she was reading aside and beckoned for Mal to enter. "Come, sit.", the woman said, gesturing to the couch in front of her.

Mal stepped inside, her eyes roaming around the office until she spotted the object that she came for. Just like Evie had said, it was sitting on a velvet pillow. The problem was that it was placed on a shelf right behind Fairy Godmother. 

The purple-haired girl cursed inwardly. She had to be doing a lot of acting for this, and she had to move fast too. Fairy Godmother would probably notice right away that the wand was missing. Mal only had a couple of minutes tops to break the barrier surrounding the Isle, and the rest would be up to her mother. 

_‘The crash course that I got from Jay about stealing better pay off.’,_ Mal thought to herself.

She sank onto the couch and tried her best to look confused. "I don't understand my mistake on the last item. Wouldn't it be a good thing to fight off the villain instead?"

"Well, in that particular scenario, the best thing would be to call the authorities. You all are still children with no experience in combat. Auradon has police forces for that sort of thing.", Fairy Godmother explained. 

Mal stood up and made a big show of proving her point. She paced around, slowly making her way behind the fairy’s desk. “I mean, why wait, Fairy Godmother? The villain could get away if we don’t act in time.”

“And you, on the other hand, could get hurt! We place greater importance on the safety of our citizens.”

The young girl stepped closer to the shelf and positioned herself directly in front of the pillow. She abruptly turned around to Fairy Godmother, effectively blocking the old woman’s view of the wand.

“I think I’m beginning to see your point, Fairy Godmother.”, Mal mused as if deep in thought. Her hand slowly crept behind her back until she could feel the wand in her fingers. Victory was at her fingertips, and Maleficent’s daughter fought to keep a smile from appearing on her face that could possibly give her away.

The door suddenly burst open. "Mal, there you are!", Ben exclaimed as he strode inside the room. Mal gasped at the sudden intrusion and jerked her hand back to the side of her body.

“Sorry, Fairy Godmother, but I’ll be borrowing Mal for a while.”, the prince said. He walked over to where Mal was and grabbed her wrist, pulling her body to follow after him.

“W-Wait. Where are we going?”, Mal asked as she tried to get out of Ben’s grasp.

“We have a date, remember?”, he replied, smiling widely at her. Ben dragged her out of Fairy Godmother’s office as the fairy remained silent, looking slightly amused at the whole scene. 

“Make sure you get back before curfew! And you better take good care of Mal, Benjamin!”, the old woman yelled from behind her desk.

“Yes, Fairy Godmother!”, Ben called out as the two left the office, the door closing behind them.

Mal gritted her teeth. The wand was right there! Ben just had to come and ruin everything. "Ben! I can't leave. What about class?", she shouted angrily.

"Nice try, Mal, but I know you don't have class anymore today. I asked Evie.", he said, turning back to look at her.

Mal groaned. For all the times her plans had to backfire, it just had to be right at this moment when she was so close to getting the wand. Her dreams of making her mother proud were slipping further away from reach.

"Fine, you got me, but I still have to study.", she lied, trying to break out from his hold but failing.

"We won't be long, I promise."

Ben suddenly stopped, and Mal straightened herself. She saw that they were right outside the front entrance of the main building. A metallic blue Vespa scooter stood parked on the gravel, and she stared at it in wonder.

All thoughts of getting Fairy Godmother's wand flew out of her head.

"Catch,", the prince said. He tossed her a white helmet with blue and yellow stripes which she caught with outstretched arms. She put it on and walked over to where he sat on the vehicle.

"I never pegged you as a bike guy.", she said as she climbed in behind him.

"Well, I have a few surprises up my sleeve.", Ben replied cheekily as he revved up the engine. "You might want to hold on tight."

Mal snorted. "Oh, you don't have—"

Her words were cut short as the scooter suddenly moved. She immediately clutched tightly onto Ben's waist, and the prince laughed at her actions. A small smile graced Mal's face as they whizzed past the long driveway and out the campus gates.

After about half an hour of driving, they finally stopped at what seemed to be the edge of the woods. Ben maneuvered the vehicle to a cleared space beside a forest path. He parked the scooter, and the two got off. 

Mal looked around curiously. She could hear birds chirping and the leaves on the trees rustling in the breeze. Ben took her hand and led her to walk on the trail.

"Where are we going?", she asked.

"You'll see soon enough.", he replied mysteriously.

"Most boys take girls out for dinner on their first date, but you take me right in the middle of nowhere. I'm not sure that's very romantic.", she commented, teasing.

"You're not like other girls.", he simply said, earning a light blush to dust the girl’s cheeks. 

They reached a hanging bridge, and Mal slipped her hand from Ben's grasp to walk ahead. 

"Tell me something about yourself.", Ben said, trailing closely behind her. "Something you’ve never told anyone."

Mal slowed her steps as she became lost in thought. "My middle name is Bertha."

Ben barked out a laugh, and Mal turned to shoot daggers at him. "Sorry, I just didn't expect that. Mine's Florian."

“How princely.”, she replied, grinning. “That’s almost worse.”

“It’s definitely better than Bertha.”

They reached the end of the bridge and resumed their walk up elevated ground. "Here we are.", Ben said softly as they stood at the edge of a cliff.

Mal gasped as her eyes took in the lake nestled deep in the woods. Its water shined a pristine blue under the rays of the sun. Near the edge of the lake, there was a temple in ruins. Its stone floor was still intact, but some of the pillars had already weathered away. She could also see what seemed to be a blanket laid out on the temple ground with pillows and several picnic baskets placed atop it to secure the cloth.

"What is this place?", she breathed out.

Ben took her hand into his once more and led her down a path towards the temple. "The Enchanted Lake. It's my favorite place in Auradon, and I wanted to show it to you."

Mal was at a loss for words. The place was extremely beautiful, and she had never seen anything like it before. 

The prince guided her over to the blanket, and they both sat on the ground. He opened one of the picnic baskets and brought out a variety of food for them, such as jelly donuts and fruits. 

“Did you prepare all this?”, Mal asked, amazed.

“I want to say I did, but no.”, Ben replied with a laugh. “I went to Beast Castle earlier and asked Mrs. Potts for help.”

“The old teapot’s still around?”

“Yup, and ever nagging. She wouldn’t stop pestering me who the lucky girl was.”

“She did? Wouldn’t she assume this was for Audrey?”

Ben suddenly looked embarrassed. “I never did tell you, did I?”

“Tell me what?”, Mal asked, confusion evident on her face.

“I broke up with Audrey after the garden party.”

“What? Why?”

“I learned that it was her plan all along to introduce you to her grandmother, knowing the history behind Queen Leah and your mother. It wasn’t right of her to do so, and she still doesn’t realize her mistake until now.”

Mal only stared at him blankly as she processed his words. He took the side of the villain kids over Audrey?

Unnerved by the sudden silence, Ben cleared his throat. “How about we go for a swim?”

The purple-haired girl paled. She did not know how to swim, and she’d rather not look like a fool in the water and be humiliated in front of the boy. “Uh, I think I prefer to stay here and try a strawberry. I’ve literally never tasted a strawberry before.”, she chuckled nervously as she picked up one. 

Mal took a bite out of the fruit, and a sweet flavor burst into her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise, and before she could even realize it, her other hand had already grabbed another strawberry to eat.

Ben chuckled at how she seemed like a little child. “Alright then. Don’t eat all of them.”

Maleficent’s daughter waved him off in response and continued to attack the strawberries. She moaned at how delicious they tasted. Oh, why did this sinful goodness not exist back on the Isle?

“Mal!”, Ben called out. The girl stood up to look at Ben standing atop a rock. He was clad only in his boxer shorts and was poised to dive into the lake.

She blushed heavily at his partially naked form. “Are those little crowns on your shorts?”, she shouted teasingly.

“Maybe!”, he replied with a grin. The prince roared like a beast, and Mal laughed loudly at his antics. He jumped gracefully and made a loud splash as he landed in the water.

Mal returned to her spot on the blanket and decided to help herself to the donuts next. She marvelled over the apple-raspberry filling that was inside them. The food served in Auradon Prep’s cafeteria was good, but it was certainly no match for this. She made a mental note to have Ben ask Mrs. Potts to prepare food for them again.

After a couple of jelly donuts and several more strawberries, Mal noticed how quiet the surroundings had become. She couldn’t hear Ben splashing around in the lake anymore.

Trying to control the worry that she suddenly felt, she stood up to sweep the place with her eyes, but Ben was nowhere in sight.

“Ben!”, she shouted. “Ben, where are you?”

There was no reply.

“Benjamin Florian! I swear to evilness, if you’re pulling a prank on me, I’m never talking to you again!”, she threatened, but there was still no sign of the prince anywhere.

Images of the boy drowning flashed in her head, and Mal became scared. Without a second thought, she jumped from the temple into the lake. She waded in the water while continuously calling out for Ben. The girl took another step, and her foot could not find the ground anymore. 

She had reached the deep part of the lake. Her eyes widened in fear as she began to sink. Mal tried to stay afloat, but the panic she felt made her flail her arms around, causing her to sink even more.

Just as she thought that she would completely be submerged and drown, Mal felt strong arms behind her knees and waist. She was then hoisted into a bridal position, and she could feel her body being pressed against a hard chest.

With half-lidded eyes, Mal strained to look up at her savior. She saw Ben's mop of honey brown hair and his sharp jawline.

Ben walked over to the temple and set her down on the floor carefully. He pushed himself up and proceeded to get a towel from a picnic basket. Mal shivered in the cold breeze, and she groaned at how soaking wet she had become.

The prince crouched down beside her and attempted to put the towel around her shoulders, but Mal pushed him away angrily.

"You big oaf!", she shouted. "You scared me!"

"You don't know how to swim.", Ben only muttered in reply. “But you live on an island.”

"With a barrier around it, remember?", Mal snapped.

"You don't know how to swim.", Ben repeated, gazing into her eyes. "Yet you jumped into the water to look for me."

"Yeah, well, I thought you might've drowned.", she said softly. Her eyes suddenly flashed a bright green as she remembered that she was still angry. "Don't think you're getting out of this one! I'm not talking to you again.", she grumbled. 

"I know. I heard your outburst from earlier.", the prince chuckled, standing up to return to the baskets. Maleficent's daughter didn't bother replying; if there was anything Ben should know about her, it’s that she's stubborn to a fault. 

"Will this peace offering change your mind?", Ben asked. 

Mal looked up to see him holding a package tied with a ribbon in his hands. She accepted it tentatively.

"What's inside?", she asked suspiciously.

Ben only shrugged. "Open it.", he prompted her. 

Mal pulled the ribbon off and peeled the wrapping paper carefully. She found a leather-bound notebook with blank pages, along with several graphite pencils of different hardnesses and blacknesses inside.

"It's a sketchbook.", Ben explained as he saw her confused look. "So you don't have to go the Drawing Studio every time you wanted to draw, and your works can also be in one place."

Mal's fingers glossed over the sketchbook and pencils. "Thank you, Ben.", she said softly. 

She had never received a gift like this in her life before. Pain gripped Mal's heart because in that moment, she desperately wished for Ben’s feelings, for this relationship, for everything to be real.


	12. Chapter 12

Mal entered her dorm room and sighed dreamily. She had just come back from another date with Ben, and she was on cloud nine. Their relationship had been progressing steadily, a fact she was giddy about but would never admit out loud. 

Ben had a copy of her class schedule, courtesy of Evie, and being the gentleman that he is, he’d take every opportunity to walk her to class. He would always invite her to eat with him, and Mal could swear that she already gained a few pounds because of him. 

She watched his tourney practices, and she would always tease him that she only came for Jay and Carlos. The girl could sense that the rest of her friends had taken a liking to Ben too. He fit in nicely with their group, and he often hung out with them. 

Of course, there were some who weren’t pleased with her being the prince’s girlfriend. Audrey was absolutely furious, and she tried to flaunt her new—or more accurately, _rebound_ , if Mal was being honest—relationship with Chad in a desperate attempt to make Ben jealous, but it was to no avail.

Mal could also sense the glares and whispers being thrown her way as she walked through the hallways of Auradon Prep. They didn’t faze her one bit; she was used to people staring and talking behind her back. Growing up on the Isle as Maleficent’s daughter, she would often get looks and words of fear, jealousy, or hatred. 

Still, she was genuinely happy with the current situation, even if everything was fake. 

The girl knew that she had to release Ben from the spell at one point. It was cruel of her to keep him around her finger as merely a device for revenge. He definitely deserved better than that. Yet some part of her wished to keep this pretense up.

But of course, there was still work to be done. Fairy Godmother’s wand wasn’t in her hands yet, so until she retrieved the magic item who knows when and let the villains take over Auradon, Mal would preserve this happiness for as long as she can.

A sniffle snapped her out of her thoughts, and her eyes fell on Evie laying on the bed. The bluenette’s body heaved with sobs, and Mal was washed over with a sudden guilt.

She had been focusing too much on her relationship with Ben that she never noticed that something was wrong with Evie. She mentally cursed herself as she remembered the forced smiles and half-hearted laughs coming from the girl whenever they ate with Jay, Carlos, and Ben.

Some best friend she was.

“E?”, Mal asked gently, taking a step towards the girl. “What’s wrong?”

The sobs stopped for a moment. “N-Nothing. I was watching a sad movie.”

“Don’t lie to me, Evie. I know something’s up.”

Evil Queen’s daughter slowly sat up on the bed. Her bare face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy. 

Mal sighed and sat on the foot of the girl’s bed. The last time she saw Evie like this was when the bluenette learned that a boy on the Isle had only started a relationship with her because he was afraid of what Evil Queen would do to him if he didn’t.

“Oh, E. What happened?”

“I was stupid, M. Completely stupid.”, Evie moaned, bringing about fresh tears to her eyes.

“Okay, you know what? Being cooped up here isn’t gonna do you any good.”, Mal declared.

She stood up and grabbed her phone placed on top of the dining table. After a few taps, she had the device pressed to her ear.

“Hey, Mal.”, Ben’s warm voice sounded a few rings after. “What’s up?”

“Ben, is there a place in Auradon we can do shopping in? Evie’s kind of down, and I want to make her feel better.”

“We can go to the city.”, Ben offered. “I can swing by in twenty minutes to pick you girls up.”

“Perfect. That’s enough time for us to get ready.”, Mal replied gratefully. “Oh, can I bring the boys too? I think a change of scenery will be good for all of us.”

“Sure. I’d rather stay with them anyway than accompany you girls to the boutiques.”, he joked.

“Ha-ha, very funny, Bennyboo.”, she deadpanned. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Mal hung up the phone and walked to Evie’s closet. She took out the first outfit she could get her hands on and brought it over to her best friend.

“Come on, E. Get up. We’re going out.”, she prodded. When Evie made no move to get out of bed, Mal grabbed her hands and pulled the girl’s body up.

“M, I don’t wanna go anywhere.”, Evie whined.

“Not even if we’re going shopping?”, Mal asked with a glint in her eye. Evie momentarily stopped before excitement overtook her. 

“Really?!”, the bluenette screamed. “We’re shopping for clothes as in you’ll try out everything I tell you to?”

Mal winced. “Yes, E. I will try as many clothes as you want me to.”

Evie squealed, and all sadness was gone from her body and her voice. She immediately jumped out of bed and grabbed the outfit Mal had picked for her. Humming a tune to herself, she entered the bathroom to get ready.

Mal shook her head in amusement. There was nothing Evie loved in the world more than clothes. After several minutes, there was a knock on the door, and Mal opened it to reveal a grinning Ben.

“You girls ready?”

* * *

After almost an hour in Ben’s car, the group entered Auradon City, the capital of the kingdom. Auradon Prep was also technically a part of the city, but being King Beast’s old castle, it was located quite a distance away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.

The villain kids stared in wonder at the tall skyscrapers and the crowds of people walking on the streets. They passed by a variety of establishments, ranging from dining to entertainment ones. 

Ben stopped to park the car at a parking structure, and the group of five got out. He led them to a wide street full of boutiques where women milled about carrying a number of shopping bags.

“This stretch of road is called Main Street where all the best boutiques in the city can be found.”, Ben explained. “Since you guys don’t have any money to spend, I called Mom earlier, and she’s wired E-Jewels to all of you. Just open the Wallet app on your phone, and hand it over to the cashier.”

Evie stared at the prince in amazement. “Are you a genie or something? I could kiss you right now!”

“E, boundaries please?”, Mal immediately butted in, earning a laugh from the group. 

Evil Queen’s daughter bounded off to the first boutique on the right and impatiently beckoned over to Mal to follow her.

“There’s no stopping her now.”, Mal muttered ruefully. She turned to look at Ben. “I’ll call you later when we’re done, okay? I’m pretty sure we’ll be needing a lot of help with the bags.”

Ben laughed. He was used to this. His mom practically dragged him and his dad around and made them carry her bags whenever she was on a shopping spree too. “Take care. The boys and I will just be over by the next street.”

The girls went from one boutique to the next and probably tried every single thing inside. Mal had lost count of how many garments Evie had made her try on. She had at least five new outfits and three new pairs of shoes, and the bluenette surely had more than that.

As the items began to look all the same to Mal, she collapsed on the bench on the side of the street. She couldn’t afford to take one more step. Her feet were killing her, and her arms felt heavy from the numerous shopping bags her hands carried.

“M, come on! This is the last boutique, I promise. I just need some new shoes to go with that last dress I bought.”, Evie urged.

“E, my feet are about to die and fall off. I don’t even know how we can fit all these clothes in our closets back at the dorm.”, Mal whined. “Just go and leave your bags. I’ll be waiting for you right here.”

“Okay then. I won’t take long!”, Evie promised as she dropped her bags and entered the store. Mal chuckled and arranged the shopping bags beside her. She knew that Evie would definitely take long.

The purple-haired girl fished for her phone from her skirt pocket and dialed Ben’s number. “Hey, Ben? We’re almost done. Evie’s just buying a pair of shoes.”

“Alright. We’ll come over now, so we can start loading the bags into the car.”, Ben informed her after relaying what she said to Jay and Carlos. “We saw a cafe earlier. Do you girls want to stop by for a bite before we return?”

“That’s great! We’re famished.”, Mal exclaimed. 

Ben hung up the phone, and Mal took to massaging her aching calves. It would take several more months before anyone could convince her to go on another shopping spree again. She and Evie had been on trips like this one before back on the Isle, but it was nowhere near as extravagant and as tiring as this.

Thankfully, Mal had managed not to blow through the E-Jewels that the queen had given them, but she wasn’t so sure about her best friend’s money. She made a mental note to find a way to be able to repay the money they had spent today. Maybe she could offer other makeover services other than hair?

“Mal!”, Ben called out. She turned to see him, Jay, and Carlos jogging towards her.

“Hey guys.”, she greeted. 

Jay whistled as he looked over at the bags. “Did you ransack the stores?”, he asked in disbelief at the amount of clothes they bought.

“I can never understand why girls love clothes so much.”, Carlos muttered, peering inside a few of the bags.

“Don’t lump me in with Evie!”, Mal said with a smile.

“I think we have to make two trips to bring everything back to the car.”, Ben mused, his fingers counting everything they had to carry. “Just stay put, Mal.”

“Believe me, I’m not taking a single step.”

The boys took to dividing among themselves the bags they were to carry. After they had brought every single one to the car, Evie was just about to exit the boutique. She was beaming in absolute bliss.

“I can live here for the rest of my life.”, she sighed dreamily. "There is no way I’m going back to the Isle."

“Okay E, that’s enough shopping for today. Let’s go get something to eat.”, Mal replied before Evie could think of buying another item.

Ben, Jay, and Carlos led the girls to the road adjacent to Main Street. They stopped in front of an establishment named Corner Café. It featured a charming facade with wide glass windows, red and white striped awnings, and colorful flowers planted in window boxes.

Mal peered through the glass to see a homey space filled with antique-style armchairs and tables. The group went inside and took a seat by the window. They ordered their choice of food and drink, and a waiter brought the dishes over.

After taking a bite out of her cupcake, Evie cleared her throat. “Thank you, guys. For doing this for me.”, she said softly.

“You know we always got your back, Evie.”, Jay said, grinning.

“What happened, E?”, Mal asked worriedly. “You know you can tell us anything.”

Evie took a deep breath. “There was this guy in Chemistry. I had a crush on him, and he noticed it. He asked me to do the problem sets in class for him, and I stupidly agreed. I thought he felt the same way, so I confessed. He rejected me outright and said he had been using me all along.”

Mal’s hands curled into fists. “Who’s the bastard?”, she asked harshly.

“His name’s Chad.”, Evie said, embarrassed.

“Chad as in Cinderella’s son?”, Carlos clarified. “Our forward on the tourney team?”

Ben nodded. “The one and only. I always knew he was an arrogant jerk, but I never thought he’d do something like this.”

“Evie, just say the word, and I’ll go beat him up for you.”, Jay declared, cracking his knuckles.

“I can kick him out of the team. His grades have long been a problem anyway.”, Ben agreed. 

“No. No one’s beating or kicking anyone out of the team.” Evie refused. “You guys don’t have to do anything. It’s alright. It was my fault anyway.”

But, it wasn’t alright.

At least, not for Mal who was already deep into thought. She pondered over the spells that she could use. Chad had hurt her best friend, and she would make sure that he’d pay for it


	13. Chapter 13

Evie entered her Chemistry classroom, and all eyes immediately trained on her. The lively noise earlier fell to a whisper, and she spotted Chad in the back not even bothering to look up at her.

She gripped her bag tightly and sat on the empty seat beside Doug. Dopey’s son looked at her with concern in his eyes. "Evie, uh, are you okay?", he asked. 

"What do you mean?", Evie replied with another question.

"I heard what happened with Chad.", the boy explained.

Evie's eyes widened in surprise. "Where did you hear about that?", she hissed.

"From a friend.", he answered nervously, not wanting to anger the girl. "It's all everyone's been talking about."

Evie gritted her teeth. It had to be Chad that spread the story. Her friends were loyal and trustworthy, and they wouldn't do that to her. _'That bastard.'_

She felt Doug's worried eyes still on her. "I'm alright, Doug. Chad's a jerk, and I'm sure I'll be able to find a better prince than him."

"What's the deal with you and princes, anyway?", Doug asked curiously.

"Hm? Well, Mom has always told me to marry a prince. What's a better companion to someone with power and wealth than a pretty face, not to mention the fairest of them all?"

Doug appeared to be deep in thought. "I don't think you're someone who needs a prince. You're definitely more than a pretty face, Evie. You're smart, creative, and independent. You can succeed without men in your life."

Before Evie could reply, Mr. Deley entered the room which cut their conversation short. A small smile appeared on Evie’s lips as she pondered over Doug’s words. She didn’t know that he could be so sweet.

* * *

"Ben, where are we going?", Mal asked as they traveled through Auradon City. 

After leaving Mathematics, her last class for the day, she had found Ben waiting for her outside the classroom. He immediately whisked her away to his car, and no matter how many times she kept on asking, he still wouldn't tell her their destination. 

"That's the third time you asked in five minutes!", Ben pointed out, laughing. He took a deep breath and glanced at her seriously for a moment. "Promise me you won't get mad."

"I promise."

"I'm taking you to Beast Castle."

There was a short silence in the car as Mal processed his words. Her eyes bulged as she realized what he meant. 

"I'm meeting your parents?!", she shouted angrily. "Like, meeting them as your girlfriend?"

Ben winced at her volume. "You said you wouldn't get mad."

"This is an important matter, Ben!", Mal snapped. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've at least worn nicer clothes."

"Mal, we both know that you’d bolt if I told you earlier. Besides, you could wear a potato sack, and you would still look perfect."

"You're not flattering your way out of this one, Benjamin.", she threatened. "Isn't it a little too early for you to introduce me?"

Ben held her hand in his and interlaced their fingers together. "Everything just feels so _right_ with you that I know this is a good decision. And Mom has been bugging me for weeks to bring you home.", he chuckled.

Soon enough, the front gates of the castle came into view. Recognizing the plate number on Ben's car, the guards immediately opened the tall and golden wrought-iron gates. The car moved up the driveway towards the looming structure that was Beast Castle.

Mal looked up in wonder at the castle’s towers and its lavish turrets and balconies. The familiar blue and gold flag of Auradon was flying proudly atop the castle’s highest tower. They stopped in front of the main entrance and exited the vehicle. 

The couple ascended the short flight of stairs that led up to the huge double doors which, as if on cue, parted wide open to let them in. Mal found herself in an expansive main foyer where the royal crest of Auradon was painted on the tiled floor. A carpeted grand staircase with golden banisters stood in front of them. Scanning the space, she could see passages at the left and right side of the foyer which probably led to other rooms of the castle.

Ben took her hand and guided her up the stairs. They paused for a moment at the first landing as Mal stared at the huge portrait of the royal family. The king and queen were sitting on armchairs while the prince stood behind them. They all sported wide smiles and exuded an aura of elegance and regality.

Giving her a small tug, Ben pulled her to the right staircase, and they ascended another flight of stairs. They walked along the castle’s hallways before stopping in front of a set of cream-colored double doors.

“Are you ready?”, the prince whispered. Mal could only nod, not really trusting herself to speak without the nervousness showing in her voice.

Ben pushed the doors open, revealing a massive library which was covered from floor-to-ceiling shelves completely filled with books. There were two long windows with deep green curtains from which the rays of the setting afternoon sun streamed in. Mal could see ladders and staircases that allowed people onto the higher shelves. Her mouth opened in amazement; she had never seen so many books in her life.

In the middle of the room, a fire crackled in the magnificent fireplace. Chaise lounges and armchairs littered the space, while a big desk stood near one of the windows. With a start, Mal realized that the king and queen were waiting for them at the center of the library.

Mal and Ben strode forward. “Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Mal.”, Ben introduced.

“Thank you for inviting me to your home, King Beast and Queen Belle.”, Mal said as she curtsied—properly—in front of the royal couple.

Belle laughed musically. “There’s no need to be so formal with us, Mal. I’m sure you’ll be seeing us more often.”, she said with a wink.

“It’s nice to see you again, young lady.”, Beast rumbled as he peered down at her. Mal gulped nervously.

A knock suddenly sounded on the library’s doors, and a voice spoke from outside. “Dinner is served.”

“Shall we continue this conversation in the dining room? I’m eager to hear about everything you’ve done together.”, the queen cackled excitedly.

“Mom!”, Ben said, his ears turning red in embarrassment. “I thought we talked about this.”

“Believe me, son. There will be no stopping your mother.”, Beast replied with a hearty laugh.

The group of four left the library, and Mal followed the family down the grand staircase and through a series of hallways until they arrived at a dining room. A feast that could’ve probably fed her for a week was prepared on a table that could seat eight people. Judging from the size of the area, this must probably be the Beast Castle’s minor dining room, which was different from the major dining room where dinner parties were often held.

“I hope you like Italian.”, Belle said as the two couples took their seats across each other.

“I do.”, Mal replied though she had no idea what the queen meant.

Ben began to pile pasta and chicken on Mal’s plate. She stared dumbfoundedly at the different sizes of utensils in front of her and peered over to watch Ben before picking up the medium-sized fork. She took a bite of the pasta and felt a pair of eyes watching her. Maleficent’s daughter slowly looked up to see the queen staring at her expectantly.

“How is it?”, Belle asked.

Mal swallowed before answering. “It’s delicious.”

Belle beamed at the young girl’s answer. “Thank goodness. Mrs. Potts usually handles all the cooking here, but since you’re coming over, I decided to cook the food myself.”

The group continued to eat while small talk erupted around the table. Topics varied from Queen Belle’s luncheon with other princesses to events occurring in the different regions of Auradon.

“So Mal, has my son been treating you right? Please tell me he did not bring you to some cheap place for your first date.”, the queen said point-blank.

“Mom, can we please not talk about our relationship?”, Ben groaned.

“Hush. You never tell me anything.”, Belle pouted at her son.

Mal had to admit that the queen looked adorable. “You have nothing to worry about, Queen Belle. Ben has been very good to me.”, she reassured the older woman. “He may be a bit childish, but I couldn’t have asked for a better boyfriend.”

The king and queen laughed at her words. “Oh, tell me about it. He’s kept his habit of roaring like his father.”, Belle chuckled.

“What about him belting out every now and then? I’m sure he got that from you.”, Beast said, joining in the conversation.

Ben’s ears reddened with humiliation. “You guys do know I’m here, right?”, he asked.

Ignoring his son, the king turned to Maleficent’s daughter. “If he makes you cry, you go straight here and tell me, okay? I’ll have him out of the castle in a flash.”, he joked. 

Mal stared at the king before smiling and nodding. Earlier, it seemed like Beast wasn’t that ecstatic to have her there, but the young girl felt that he was beginning to warm up to her. 

They finished eating dinner, and Mal and Ben decided to return to Auradon Prep. The prince and Beast walked ahead back towards the main foyer, while Mal and the queen strolled behind at a leisurely pace.

“Thank you, Mal.”, the queen said softly.

The purple-haired girl turned to look at her in surprise and confusion.

"From an early age, Ben knew he had to learn how to rule a kingdom, and that separated him from other kids. There were those who made friends with him because they wanted to take advantage of his position as crown prince.", Belle explained sadly. "I suppose he never fully experienced how to be a child. I realized too late how lonely my son must have been growing up."

Mal was silent as she imagined a young Ben, a small boy roaming around the hallways of this big castle with only his parents and the housekeeping staff to talk to.

A smile broke out on the queen’s face. "I was really happy when he told us that he was bringing you over, and I see now why he likes you. Mal, you're different from the others. You see Ben not as the future king, but for who he really is. He's happy with you, and that's more than enough for me."

There was nothing Mal could do but return the queen’s smile. How could she tell her, Ben’s mother, that they were only together because of magic? Now that Mal understood Ben a bit better, how could she ever admit that she was exactly like the others, only making use of the fact that he was the prince?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize first for the late update! I've been really busy with uni recently. This week's update is a bit short, but I hope you enjoy it regardless.
> 
> Happy reading!
> 
> ~astryl

“Since the four of you have been here in Auradon for a few months now, we decided to give you kids a special treat.”, Fairy Godmother began. The villain kids looked at her and at the flatscreen television in front of them curiously.

The old fairy fumbled with the computer connected to the TV, and moments later, an image came alive on the screen. The four collectively gasped as they saw their parents staring at them through the television. They immediately rushed forward and crowded around the appliance.

“Is this real?”, Carlos asked in amazement.

Cruella De Vil tapped the screen of the computer in front of the villains with her finger to make sure that it was really her son talking to her. “Carlos, my sweet!”, she cooed.

“Jay? Where’s my son?”, Jafar said as he moved forward, his face nearing the laptop camera and blocking the view of all the others.

“I’m right here, Dad.”, Jay greeted his father.

“Oh, will you please stop hogging the camera? I need to see my little Evilette in training.”, Evil Queen exclaimed as she pushed Jafar back to his seat.

“Mom, I missed you.”, Evie said, her eyes tearing up.

Fairy Godmother sensed that the reunion between the villains and the children was a private moment. She stepped out of the classroom to give them the privacy and space they deserved.

“Enough with the waterworks, dear. Your eyes are gonna get all puffy.”, the old queen was quick to admonish once she saw that the fairy was gone. “Now, how are things there? Have you found a prince yet?”

Evie didn’t know how to reply to that question. How could she tell her mother that a prince had outright rejected her? 

Fortunately, Cruella De Vil had more pressing matters to ask about. “Forget about princes. Who needs them when you can own a hundred fur coats?”, she cackled. “Did you skin the dalmatians like I asked you to, Carlos?”

“Bah! Princes and dogs, you women obviously have the wrong priorities. You can get all those when you become rich.”, Jafar butted in. “Am I right, Jay? Have you found that blasted genie?”

The three villains squabbled over which issue was more important, and their children looked on uncomfortably. They had hoped they could talk about their fun experiences in Auradon, but it seemed like the reunion was quickly heading elsewhere.

“Shut your traps!”, a shrill voice shouted and the three were quick to back off like wounded kittens. Maleficent’s cruel glare appeared on the screen, and Mal winced once she saw it. “Set your heads straight. Have you forgotten why we agreed to send them there in the first place?”

No one dared to argue with the mistress of evil. “Where’s my darling pumpkin, Mal?”

“I’m here, Mom.”, Mal spoke up, trying her best not to appear unnerved.

Maleficent took in her daughter’s polished appearance with disdain. “Auradon seems to have quite an effect on you, but no matter, do you have the old hag’s wand?”

“Not yet.”, Mal replied nervously.

Her mother’s eyes flashed a dangerous green. “ _Not yet_?”, she glowered. “You’ve been in there for how many months, and yet you can’t even do one measly task? I should never have sent you to the Isle. I should’ve chosen someone else to go in your stead, and I could be ruling over Auradon in less than a week! You have no right to call yourself my daughter. You’re nothing but a useless—”

The screen flashed black, and the image of their parents disappeared. Not realizing that she had frozen out of fear in her position, Mal snapped out of her daze. Her eyes flitted over to Carlos who was holding the television plug in his hands.

The young boy shrugged. “She was being mean.”

* * *

Evie woke up with a start, and pain shot through her body as she tried to move her stiff neck. Realization dawned on her that she had accidentally fallen asleep on her desk. Ever since her conversation with Doug, her passion for fashion designing burned brighter than ever, and she worked nonstop on making her projects.

The girl glanced at the clock on the wall which read 5:17 AM. Her eyes fell on Mal's bed and saw that her best friend was nowhere to be found. 

She stood up to check the bathroom, but the purple-haired girl wasn't there. Evie left the room and padded through the hallways. She peered at the empty student lounge and was about to give up searching until she heard a sniffle coming from the kitchen. Her eyes narrowing, the bluenette hurried over to where she heard the sound. 

Lo and behold, she found Mal behind the kitchen counter, crying and mixing a bowl filled with what smelled like cookie dough.

"M, are you seriously crying and making cookies at 5 in the morning?", Evie asked, bewildered. 

Mal's tears began to fall faster, and Evie knew this was a serious matter. She grabbed the bowl from her best friend's arms and set it aside.

"Tell me what's going on.", Evie urged. 

"I'm making the anti-love potion.", Mal managed to say in between sobs. Evie sighed. She knew this was bound to happen.

"Then what's the problem?", she asked gently.

"I don't want to let him go, E.", Mal whispered. “I don’t want to steal Fairy Godmother’s wand and break the Isle barrier. I don't want to take over the world with evil. It doesn't make me happy. I want to go to school and be with Ben because he makes me really happy. Us being friends makes me really happy. I want to choose good, E.”

Evie placed her arms around Mal's body and hugged the girl tightly, attempting to calm her down. She sensed that the video call with their parents earlier must have gotten to her best friend. She was painfully aware of Mal’s struggles as Maleficent's daughter, and she only wished for Mal to be able to live according to what her heart wanted.

"M, I know it's a hard decision, but you have to do what's right. Ben deserves to know the truth."

"What comes next?", Mal asked, her voice muffled against the bluenette’s shoulder.

"We'll start over, and we'll choose good.", Evil Queen’s daughter firmly said as she rocked Mal back and forth.

* * *

The girls slept through the whole morning after Mal had calmed down and finished baking the cookies. They rested fitfully in their beds while unbeknownst to them, the school was in an uproar.

An anonymous post had appeared on Auradon Prep’s online school board, along with the title “Maleficent’s Daughter Out to Destroy Auradon!”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I am so sorry for this really late update! With an online event I've been organizing for a month finally done, I hope I'll be able to resume my regular Friday posting next week. For now, here is the next chapter. Happy reading!
> 
> ~astryl

Ben opened the door to his dorm room roughly. He had been cooped up inside all day, and his stomach was starting to complain. His phone was full of ignored messages and calls, most of them coming from his mom. As if on cue, the device started ringing again, indicating an incoming phone call from Queen Belle.

He didn’t bother answering; after all, there was only one person he wanted to hear from.

Ever since the post on the school board circulated and gained attention, Ben had been trying to contact Mal. He just wanted to listen to her version of the story, to hear from Mal herself instead of believing what everyone said.

But every message of his was left unseen, and every call was unpicked up.

The prince desperately held on to the hope that Mal would contact him soon and that this didn’t mean the end of their relationship, but his resolve was slowly crumbling away. 

He was about to take one step forward when he noticed a few objects placed on the floor. There was a rolled-up piece of paper, an envelope, and a small box. He picked them up and went back inside the room despite his stomach's wishes. 

Sitting down in his armchair, Ben first pried the envelope open where a folded piece of stationery was inserted inside. His heartbeat quickened as he realized that it was a letter from Mal.

_Ben,_

_You must have seen the post on the school board by now. How I spelled you to make you fall in love with me and planned to break the Isle barrier by stealing Fairy Godmother’s wand—everything that was written there is true, and I'm sorry._

_The spell should be broken once you're aware of it, but for good measure, I've placed the anti-love potion in the cookies inside the box._

_I won't make any excuses to try and redeem myself, but I want you to know that I really am grateful for all the kindness you've shown us villain kids ever since we arrived in Auradon._

_I don't think I can ever repay you for everything you’ve done, but the gift I sent along with this letter is the best thing I can do. I made it back when you comforted me after the garden party._

_I won't be bothering you anymore._

_Mal_

Feeling his heart break into a million pieces, Ben numbly picked up the rolled paper. He untied the ribbon holding it in place and unfurled it. 

Right there on the piece of paper was a sketched portrait of him.

* * *

"Maybe the two of you did it!", Evie accused, pointing her fingers at Jay and Carlos. "Or your loud mouths blabbered to someone else, and now, everyone's out to get Mal!"

After the girls had woken up from their sleep, Evie had immediately seen the post on the school board and read everything that the anonymous user had written. The post completely ruined Mal's image, yet the purple-haired girl seemed so unfazed by it. 

Mal still went through with her plan of giving Ben the anti-love cookies. Along with Evie, they dropped off several things in front of the prince’s dorm room with Mal having to cast a protection spell around the items to make sure no one would be able to touch them but Ben himself.

The girls then decided to stay in Carlos and Jay's room for the time being, the whole walk through the hallways probably being the longest in their lives with glares of hatred sent along their way. 

"Evie, we've been friends for years now. Did you really think we'd betray Mal?", Jay asked gruffly.

"I can't believe you really would accuse us! Didn't you say you wanted a prince like Ben? Maybe it was you who did it to ruin their relationship!", Carlos shouted.

Evie burst into tears at Carlos’s exclamation. She could never do that to Mal; her best friend was more important than any other boy—prince or not—there was out there.

"Enough!", Mal commanded, silencing the three. "Stop pointing fingers at each other. It's not going to get us anywhere. I trust you guys, and I know none of you leaked my plans."

“I’m sorry, Evie.”, Carlos was quick to apologize. “I didn’t mean what I said. I’m just as frustrated as you are about all this.”

Evil Queen’s daughter wiped her tears and took the younger boy’s hand in her own. She squeezed it reassuringly to let him know that he was forgiven. The girl doubted that she could even get angry at Carlos, the first friend she made on the Isle.

"I’m sorry too. You and Jay have always been fiercely loyal, and I was wrong to doubt that.”, Evie replied to which Carlos squeezed her hand back and Jay patted her head to assure the girl that they weren’t mad at her.

“What are we going to do now?", the bluenette continued. "I don't think the other people would appreciate our presence here any longer."

"There's nothing we can do. Everything on the post is true, and there's no point in denying it.", Mal said. 

"Do you think we'll get shipped off back to the Isle?", Carlos asked softly. 

There was a momentary pause in the room as Jay, Evie, and Mal looked at each other, not knowing how to answer. The four villain kids all felt the same way; none of them wanted to go back.

"I don't know.", Mal replied. "But if there's anyone who should go back to the Isle, it's me. You guys did nothing wrong."

"If you're going back, I'm going back too.", Jay declared. "We're a family, remember?"

Mal smiled at him sadly, shaking her head. "There's nothing for me here. You and Carlos are on the tourney team, and Evie can better focus on fashion designing with all the resources in this place. You three have to stay."

Before any of Mal's friends could protest, there was a knock on the door. Jay opened it to reveal Fairy Godmother standing outside.

A look of surprise crossed her face when she saw the villain kids together. "You're all here! That saves me a lot of time in visiting the four of you.", she said. "I'm sure you're all aware of the post circulating on the school board, and I'm afraid I have to talk to each of you about it."

The group of friends nodded. They expected just as much. Fairy Godmother asked each of them to go downstairs to her office, beginning with Carlos, Jay, Evie, and then Mal.

Maleficent's daughter took a deep breath and entered the old fairy's office. 

"Come in, child. Have a seat.", Fairy Godmother said gently, gesturing to the armchair in front of her. Mal did as she was told.

"A cup of tea, perhaps?", the woman asked. Mal shook her head.

Fairy Godmother sighed. "Alright. Mal, I just want to know the truth, the whole truth."

The girl looked down at her hands, then she proceeded to tell Fairy Godmother everything. She began on the day they left the Isle and her mother instructed her to steal the old fairy's wand and break the island's magic barrier. She continued with how she approached Jane to get information and how she used Evie's magic mirror to keep tabs on the wand's whereabouts.

Mal revealed how she was hurt during the garden party and that she decided to use Ben as revenge against Audrey and the people of Auradon. She confessed that she was about to steal the wand on the day she came to the office to supposedly ask the fairy a question about their quiz in Goodness class. 

With her cheeks blushing, she told Fairy Godmother that she never expected to fall for Ben, and all she wanted now was to do good and be happy with him.

"I have no more intentions of stealing your wand, Fairy Godmother.", Mal finished quietly. "I don't plan on following my mother's footsteps anymore. I don’t like being evil."

Fairy Godmother stared at her for a short while as the woman contemplated Mal's story.

"Are we gonna be sent back to the Isle?", Mal asked.

"A decision has not been made yet, child.", Fairy Godmother. "I will still have to talk with the queen and the rest of the school administration."

The young girl winced as she thought about Queen Belle. The queen had wholeheartedly trusted and confided in her, and Mal had done nothing but broken that trust.

"I'll go back to the Isle if it will help set things right.", Maleficent's daughter offered. "But Evie, Jay, and Carlos had no part in my plans. They deserve to stay here in Auradon."

Fairy Godmother’s face softened at her student’s words. "I'll keep that in mind, Mal. For the time being, we'd like you four to continue on with your classes. I do hope that you can stay out of trouble until we have reached a decision."

Mal nodded. "Thank you, Fairy Godmother.", she replied, standing up to leave the office.

The purple-haired girl took her time in returning to the boys' room. She let her eyes roam around the halls of the main building, taking in every single detail. A heavy feeling settled in her heart as she realized that she would most likely never see this place again.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little announcement for everyone before anything else. Including today's update, we're down to the last five chapters! Thank you so much for all the love and support I've received on this story.
> 
> Here's this week's chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!
> 
> ~ astryl

Several days had passed by since the leak of Mal's plans on the school board. The villain kids did as they were told and tried to continue with their usual school activities which proved to be difficult now that the students of Auradon Prep treated them with disdain.

However, knowing what the four were capable of, fear overruled the students’ feelings of contempt. Everyone took to actively avoiding and ignoring the villain kids, and the harshest action anyone could do was to glare.

Online platforms were a different matter altogether. The school board was filled with anonymous posts of cries about how the villain kids deserved to be sent back to the Isle. Various anonymous Pixie accounts were also created which spoke of the same thing—Auradon was no place for villains.

For the most part, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos remained unfazed despite all the hurtful words and actions thrown their way, and they had the Isle to thank for that. After all, they were the most feared group on the island, and occurrences such as these were something they had to face daily, particularly from those who wanted to challenge their reign.

Still, the four of them stayed together whenever they could, usually during lunch breaks and after school hours. They learned to survive on the Isle that way—relying on each other as a group, a family.

Facing the situation alone was when it became hard, when it became apparent more than ever that they didn’t belong in Auradon.

* * *

With the nearing match between the Knights and the Falcons, Auradon Prep’s tourney team had been practicing longer and more often. All the physical activity proved to be a good distraction for Jay from the current situation. On the other hand, Carlos had gotten permission from Fairy Godmother to opt out of the practices for a while as it had become too much for the boy to handle.

As the last session for the week was about to end, Coach Jenkins blew his whistle, and the Auradon Fighting Knights stopped their drills and jogged over to the bleachers to gather around the older man.

“I’m sure you’re all aware that our match with the Falcons is drawing near, and it’s time for us to decide on our starters.”, the coach announced. Excited whispers ran through the small crowd of tourney players. A team’s starting lineup was important, and to be chosen for a major game such as this was considered an honor.

“I think we can all agree that our best bets for our left and right forwards would be Ben and Chad.”, the coach continued. Murmurs of approval rang through the team. The positions of left and right forwards were reserved for the best scorers and fastest players, and both Belle’s son and Cinderella’s son topped the rankings of the team when it came to scoring, speed, and agility drills.

“Our defenders will be Li and Emir. William will be the goalie, and Miguel as our dragoneer.”, Coach Jenkins continued to list the starters. The players called this time were students who excelled in drills for blocking, reflexes, and manning the Dragon Cannon, respectively.

“All that’s left is for us to choose our center forward.”, Coach Jenkins ended with the last position. The center forward was the most offensive player in tourney who was responsible for charging into the opponent’s side.

A momentary silence settled over the team as the players weighed amongst themselves who the best fit would be for the position. Being aggressive, agile, and tough to block, Jay knew he was qualified to be center forward and wanted to take on the role as well, but he chose to stay quiet and lay low given the uncleared issue about the villain kids.

“I believe Jay should be our center forward.”, Ben spoke up. Jay’s eyes widened in surprise as protests erupted from the rest of the Knights. There was no way they would let a villain handle an important match.

“No, I think Aziz would make a better center forward than Jay.”, Chad countered, referring to Aladdin’s son who was also part of the team. The others voiced out their agreements, and Jafar’s son tried his best to hold back a snort. Aziz was a good player, but Jay was definitely better than him.

“Alright, alright. How about we put it into a vote?”, Coach Jenkins suggested, acknowledging that both Jay and Aziz were good options. “Everyone in favor of Jay as our center forward, raise your hand.”

Ben and Jay were the only ones from the Knights to raise their hands, and Jay fought to keep a disappointed look from showing on his face. He knew it would be difficult to gain support from the team, but he had hoped that they would at least base their decisions on the player’s skills.

“How about for Aziz?”, the coach asked. Naturally, the rest of the tourney team raised their hands. “It’s decided then. Aziz will be our center forward. With that, our starting lineup is complete, and we’ll decide the positions of the rest of the players during the next practice. You are all dismissed.”

As the Auradon Fighting Knights collected their things and left the tourney field, Jay caught Ben’s eye. Jafar’s son nodded in the prince’s direction in gratitude for the latter’s earlier attempt to volunteer him as a starter, to which Ben returned the gesture with a nod of his own and an apologetic smile.

* * *

The decision to sit out the tourney team’s practices freed up a huge chunk of Carlos’s daily schedule. He found himself spending all his time in the library just to get his mind off things as he would most likely just get anxious waiting for the decision about the villain kids’ fate.

Yawning, Carlos skimmed through the pages of the book he had chosen to read today. The volume was about the history of woodsmen and pirates which was interesting, but the young boy somehow couldn’t concentrate on the words. 

Just as he was about to get up to look for another book to read, the on-call librarian approached him from where he sat alone on a table for four in the study area.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry about this, but a lot of students have been requesting for you to leave the study area. Your presence seems to be disturbing their studies.”, the older girl said apologetically.

Carlos felt hurt surging through him. He was doing nothing else but sitting and reading quietly, so how could he possibly be a disruption? Instead of complaining back, he chose to comply with what the librarian asked to avoid any trouble.

After all, the library was his safe space, and he didn’t want to risk being banned.

“That’s alright. I was about to leave anyway.”, Carlos replied, offering a small smile to the librarian. The girl visibly sighed in relief and murmured a soft thank you.

Clutching the book to his chest, Carlos stood up and made his way back to where the shelves were. He was considering checking out several volumes and going back to his dorm room to read when a small, brown, furry _thing_ appeared in front of him.

Like a slow motion scene in a movie, Carlos’s eyes drifted down, and his body immediately froze in fear as his brain registered that a dog was before him—the very same dog that chased him on the tourney field. Before he could scream out loud and make a mad dash, a girl about his age wearing a blue dress entered his vision.

“Dude, I told you. No running!”, the girl scolded the dog softly. Carlos briefly recognized her as Jane, Fairy Godmother’s daughter, from the time Evie showed Mal the girl’s pictures on Pixie.

Dude—Carlos wondered why these little monsters should even have names in the first place—paid no attention to the girl and trotted instead, with his tail wagging slowly, towards Cruella De Vil’s son.

“Get away.”, Carlos hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

Jane squeaked in fear as she realized that Carlos was there. The two students watched Dude with bated breaths as Dude approached the boy who was frantically stepping backwards in an attempt to avoid the dog.

Dude barked out an excited yelp and ran towards Carlos. The boy immediately put his hands up to shield his body. All thoughts of keeping quiet flew out of his head, and he was about to yell out until he realized that the dog wasn’t attacking him. Dude was yapping eagerly around his feet as if inviting him to play.

Cruella De Vil’s son stared at the dog curiously, watching his movements. Once he was certain that Dude meant no harm, he bent down to nervously touch the animal’s fur much to the dog’s delight.

“He likes you.”, Jane said in amazement, reminding Carlos that she was still there. 

His head snapped up to meet her gaze. “I didn’t know dogs could be gentle. I always thought they were monsters.”, he admitted.

The girl shook her head. “Dogs only become bad when their owners are. Dude here is our friendly campus dog, but I pretty much take care of him all the time.”, she explained. Carlos nodded and continued to pet Dude who was already lying down on the floor.

“Um, I need to go return some books. Would it be alright if Dude and I take our leave now?”, she asked sheepishly.

“Oh, sure! It’s no problem.”, Carlos assured her as he stood up. The girl called Dude back to her and picked the dog up in her arms.

“Guess I’ll see you around.”, Jane said good-bye to him, to which Carlos responded with a smile and a little wave.


	17. Chapter 17

“Hi! I’ve come to pick up an order of cotton silk satin.”, Evie greeted the receptionist in the Housekeeping department where all shopping orders of students were placed, processed, and received. “It should be under the name Evie.”

Ever since the leak on the school board, Evie had been throwing herself into her fashion projects. All her creative ideas prevented her thoughts from straying into the territory of anxious what-ifs that did no good.

After checking the log on the computer, the receptionist looked up apologetically at the girl. “I’m sorry, but that order seems to have already been claimed.”

Evie’s brows wrinkled in confusion. “I don’t understand. The order is mine, and I haven’t claimed it yet.”

“Our records show that the item has already been checked out of our inventory.”, the member of the staff explained.

The bluenette took a deep breath to keep her frustrations from bubbling up and showing on her appearance. Honestly, she wasn’t even surprised about this. Recently, it had been harder to get materials for her projects, and she suspected that someone was intentionally intercepting all her orders.

Evie had decided not to tell Fairy Godmother about it as the matter would add to the old woman’s plate which was already full enough as it is with the villain kids’ issue. She was used to acts of stealing, anyway, which were a favorite pastime back on the Isle.

The situation just irked the girl to no end. Did everyone really have to be so mean?

“I guess it can’t be helped then.”, Evie said, sighing. Cotton silk satin was uncommon, so it was quite difficult to find a supplier that sold genuine and good quality material for the fabric.

“Do you want to place another order?”, the receptionist offered as consolation.

Evie shook her head. “Even if I do, I suspect I still won’t be able to get my hands on it, but thank you for the offer anyway!”, the girl said with a cheerful smile.

Evil Queen’s daughter left Housekeeping and made her way through the halls of the Main Building to get back to her dorm room. She also hadn’t been frequenting the Fashion Design studio lately as everyone’s stares and whispers proved to be too much of a distraction from her work. Luckily, with the constant sleepovers at the boys’, the girls’ room had been turned into sort of a workplace for Evie.

As she rounded a corner, her body bumped into someone else’s. Steadying herself, Evie turned to apologize and found herself staring into a friendly face.

“Doug!”, Evie exclaimed. “It’s been quite a long time since I last talked to you.”

The boy glanced nervously around him before replying to Evie. “Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. I was busy with the band and all…”, he trailed off.

The bluenette immediately understood the meaning behind his words. With the current situation, no one wanted to be caught dead being nice to the villain kids. Doug was kind, and even if he wanted to talk to her, the students of Auradon Prep would probably treat him terribly too.

“That’s alright.”, Evie assured him. “Well, I wouldn’t want to keep you any longer, so I’ll be on my way now.”

Evie stepped to the side to continue walking. She didn’t want to force Doug to talk to her if he didn’t want to.

She had already taken a couple of steps when Dopey’s son spoke again. “Wait.”

The girl turned around to look at the boy curiously. “Is something wrong?”

Doug rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “It’s just that... I’m sorry I haven’t been a good friend to you recently, especially since you’ve never really acted badly towards me. I… I hope you can forgive me.”

Evie smiled warmly at the boy. Not everyone was mean, after all. “There’s nothing to forgive, Doug. You’ve always been my friend, and that’s already more than I could ever ask for.”

Doug’s face visibly brightened, and he broke out into a huge grin. “So I’ll see you tomorrow at Chemistry then?”

“Uh-huh. Looking forward to it.”, Evie agreed happily with a nod of her head before the two said their good-byes and went their different ways.

* * *

Mal slung her backpack on one shoulder as she walked through the campus grounds after leaving her last class of the day. With Fairy Godmother’s request of keeping out of trouble, the girl had decided to stick to a routine.

She attended all of her classes—no more skipping—during the day, then she spent the rest of her time practicing magic, sketching, and _trying_ to do her homeworks which always ended up with either Evie or Carlos finishing it for her.

Being the central subject of the school board post, the situation was harder for Mal than for the rest of the villain kids. The students of Auradon Prep were firm in the belief that she truly was a villain, someone who would become the next Maleficent if left unchecked.

Before, this kind of thinking directed towards her would make the girl swell with pride, but now, it only bothered her. She didn’t want to be evil anymore, and she wasn’t interested in taking after her mother.

Maleficent would surely flip and completely disown her if the villain knew about this, so Mal relished her last days in Auradon where she was still free from her mother’s grasp and influence. 

Sure, there was no decision yet about the villain kids’ fate, but the purple-haired girl was certain that there was no way they would let her—specifically—stay here. She was prepared to leave even if it meant being separated from her friends, yet she still dreaded what would happen once she was back on the Isle.

Mal reached her locker which she visited every day to sort out the school books and art materials that she needed to bring back to the dorms. The graffiti art of her mother’s shadow was gone from her locker door; she had long since replaced it with a purple dragon, a symbol she had always associated with herself.

Entering in the alphanumeric password on the lock, she grabbed the handle and pulled the locker open, and out came spilling hundreds of papers. Confused, Mal picked up one and read the single sentence that was on it.

_“GO BACK TO THE ISLE! YOU DON’T BELONG HERE, VILLAIN.”_

The girl knew at once what the content on the rest of the papers were. They likely had other malicious messages intended for her written on them too. With a sigh, she emptied out the huge pile of papers that remained inside her locker. 

She had to acknowledge the effort to prepare the papers, along with the fact that seeing these notes for her did hurt a little bit. But with all the methods available for these people to get their message through, did they really have to choose one that forced her to clean all these up by herself?

After dropping off the books she didn’t need and retrieving some necessary files, she closed and relocked the compartment. She muttered a quick protective spell to prevent any others from tampering with her locker and attempting something like this again.

Mal bent down to scoop up the papers in her hands, swearing violently under her breath as she did so. She stashed them in her bag for later disposal. Once every piece was picked up, the purple-haired girl got back on her feet, only to freeze momentarily as her eyes caught sight of someone standing several steps away from where she stood.

It was Ben, looking at her with his hazel-green eyes and honey brown hair.

Mal could feel the pounding of her heart. She hadn’t spoken with Ben since the issue started, and though she spotted him a few times in the hallways or out on the tourney field, he never looked her way. 

Even if she did say that she wouldn’t be bothering the prince anymore, Maleficent’s daughter debated whether she should at least smile or wave at him. However, before she could do so, Ben turned his back on her and walked away.

Pain blossomed in Mal’s heart, but the girl was quick to chase it away. _‘This is what you wanted. With everything that has happened, Ben is better off without you.’,_ she reminded herself.

Her phone suddenly vibrated from her pocket, and she fished the device out. Seeing that Evie was calling her, Mal immediately pressed the green button.

“E, what’s up?”, the girl greeted.

“Where are you? Fairy Godmother wants to see the four of us.”

* * *

Her footsteps heavy, Mal entered the Main Building with Jay who she ran into while he was coming back from the tourney field, and they made their way to Fairy Godmother’s office. 

The fairy wanting to see them could only mean one thing: a decision about the villain kids’ situation had been reached. 

Maleficent’s daughter kept clasping and unclasping her hands in apprehension which caused Jay to give her a sideways glance. “Mal, calm down.”, he said in concern for her.

“Sorry. It’s just really nerve-wracking.”, she admitted sheepishly.

“Well, no matter what happens, just know that the four of us will stick together, okay? We’re all here for each other.”, Jay reminded her, earning a smile from the girl. Jafar’s son had always been an older brother figure in their group, and now, more than ever, Mal was grateful for his presence.

Upon reaching their destination, Mal knocked softly on the door. Hearing Fairy Godmother asking them to come in, she gripped the knob and opened the door. The two saw Evie and Carlos already sitting on a couch facing the fairy.

“Mal, Jay, come in!”, Fairy Godmother greeted them. They stepped inside quietly and sat on the vacant spots beside their friends.

“Does anyone want any tea? Scone?”, the old woman offered.

“Don’t mind if I do.”, Carlos replied with a nervous laugh. Food had always been one of his sources of comfort, and his nerves could definitely use some calming down right now.

Fairy Godmother placed plates of cinnamon scones and cups of Ceylon tea in front of the villain kids. Carlos and Jay immediately got around to eating the baked goods, while Evie picked up one of the cups and sipped on the tea to soothe herself.

“I have been in constant communication with the queen and the rest of the school administration. As you may have already guessed, we’ve finally reached a decision about the actions we are to take in response to the recent issue.”, Fairy Godmother explained.

Without even realizing it, Mal’s hands began to reach automatically for Evie’s on her right side and for Jay’s on her left. Evie squeezed her best friend’s hand reassuringly as she also reached out to hold Carlos’s. 

The villain kids held their breaths as they waited for the fairy to continue. They all had one wish on their minds—that the four of them would be allowed to stay.

“We have decided to allow all of you to stay in Auradon.”, Fairy Godmother announced with a smile on her face.

A brief silence settled inside the office, and Jay was the first one to come to his senses as Fairy Godmother’s words sank in. “Yes!”, he cheered as he fist-pumped happily.

Evie burst into tears of joy out of relief, and Carlos only continued to stuff his face with scones—this time, in excitement.

Mal remained rooted to her position on the couch, unable to believe what she had just heard. The fairy must have probably meant that Evie, Carlos, and Jay would be allowed to stay, right?

“I’m sorry, Fairy Godmother. I didn’t quite catch that.”, Maleficent’s daughter spoke up. “Did you say all of us, including me?”

“Yes, Mal. The four of you get to stay here in Auradon, but only if you want, of course.”

“I-I don’t understand. Shouldn’t I go back to the Isle?”, Mal asked, confused.

Fairy Godmother smiled warmly at her. “We recognize your efforts to change which was what we ultimately wanted to happen as you studied here in Auradon Prep. Yes, you may have come here with an evil plan in mind, but you chose not to push through with it. My child, you—no, all of you are good people, and you deserve to stay here.”

“And we will be staying, Fairy Godmother.”, Evie spoke up. She turned to her side to hug Mal tightly. “We don’t have to go back, M. No more acts of evil.”

“No more destroying things.”, Mal agreed with a wide smile. “It’s time we finally choose good.”

“This means I still get to play tourney!”, Jay said eagerly. “I was worried I’d miss the match with the Falcons.”

“Wait.”, Carlos butted in as a thought entered his mind. “What about our parents? Won’t they be really mad about all this?”

Fairy Godmother pursed her lips at the boy’s question. “You don’t have to worry as your parents won’t be able to reach you here. But as it is still our duty, we’ll be informing them of everything that has happened and your continued stay in Auradon.”

“However, for now, we won’t be allowing any of you to communicate with your parents. Hopefully, once things have settled, you may be able to talk to them again.”, the fairy clarified.

“That’s good enough for me. Thank you, Fairy Godmother.”, Carlos approved, and the others consented with him. The young boy shuddered at the thought of talking to his mother again. “I don’t think I’ll be able to face any of our parents right now.”

“Moving on, unfortunately, we still haven’t found the person behind the post on the school board, but you can rest assured that we’ve deleted the online entry, along with other malicious posts.”

“If I found out who’s behind all this…”, Jay mumbled as he cracked his knuckles.

“Now, now, we do not condone violence here, Jay. Once we find who’s responsible for this, we’ll be taking appropriate actions to correct them as we believe this whole issue could’ve been resolved quietly without making everything public.”

“We’ve also been getting reports from school personnel about the other students’ behavior with regards to this situation. We’ll be releasing a memo calling for these actions to stop and for the student body to be unprejudiced. After all, Auradon Prep should remain welcoming to those who want to do good.”, Fairy Godmother went on to expound.

“Oh, thank you, Fairy Godmother! It’s been difficult for us to stay inside the studios and libraries.”, Evie breathed out, slightly miffed at the treatment that the four of them had been receiving.

“We want to make sure that all of you are comfortable with staying here.”, Fairy Godmother guaranteed them. “Lastly, we do still realize Mal’s part in all this. As such, Mal, we are requiring you to undergo weekly counselling sessions with me. Would that be alright?”

“Yes, it’s fine with me.”, Mal agreed with a nod. Going to counselling was definitely a whole lot better than going back to the Isle, and besides, the fairy was someone she had already come to like and respect.

“That’s great to hear.”, the old woman replied, beaming. “I believe that’s everything we’ve decided about the issue.”

“Thank you, Fairy Godmother. For letting us stay.”, Mal said sincerely, and the other villain kids voiced out their gratitude as well. “We’ll do our best to change from here on.”

“You are all welcome, my dears.”, Fairy Godmother said in response. “On another note, I’ll also be informing you that in a few weeks, we’ll be having the Midyear Ball. It’s a yearly tradition in Auradon Prep, so I’m hoping that the four of you could attend.”

“A ball?”, Evie repeated, her eyes widening. “Yes, Fairy Godmother, we’ll definitely be there!”

Jay groaned. “Evie, please don’t tell me you’ll be planning our outfits again.”

“I think it’s too late to say that, Jay.”, Mal noted as she observed Evie’s eyes sparkling in anticipation.

“I’m putting myself in charge of planning and making your outfits!”, Evie declared. 

“I’m fine with it as long as you let me wear shorts.”, Carlos conceded.

The bluenette looked horrified upon hearing the boy’s offer. “No! No shorts.”, she said in protest to which Carlos replied with an attempt to persuade her.

Fairy Godmother could only smile warmly at the four as they continued their banter. A lot of people had opposed the idea of letting them stay, but she stood her ground and defended them. She had come to love the villain kids as if they were her own children, and she’d want nothing more than to see them grow in goodness away from the Isle’s influences.


	18. Chapter 18

With the official announcement of the villain kids’ continued stay in Auradon, treatment towards Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos had improved considerably. However, the students were still wary of them and kept their distance, but it was better than being openly discriminated against.

As Fairy Godmother had mentioned, a countdown to the Midyear Ball had begun. The big event proved to be a good distraction from everything—not only from the recent issue, but also from academics and responsibilities—as the majority of the student body focused their attention on preparing for the party.

Mal navigated through the hallways of the Main Building as she made her way to Fairy Godmother’s office for this week’s session. Though she had never been one for parties, seeing all these people hurrying about with outfits or decorations in their arms piqued her interest.

Upon reaching her destination, the purple-haired girl knocked softly on the door of the office. She twisted the knob and pushed the door open, only to see the fairy nowhere in sight and Queen Belle sitting on one of the armchairs.

Mal gasped in surprise. "Your Majesty.", she said, immediately sinking down to a curtsy.

The queen smiled at her. "I thought I told you that there's no need to be so formal."

"It wouldn't be right, Your Majesty.", Mal said, her head bowed down. "Not after everything I've done."

"Why don't you take a seat?", Belle offered. "I requested Fairy Godmother to let me take over the counselling for today."

Mal tried to keep the nervousness hidden on her face. She sat down and waited patiently for the queen to continue speaking.

"I heard everything that has happened from Fairy Godmother.", Queen Belle began. "And I forgive you, Mal."

Mal's head snapped up in shock. Did she hear the queen's words correctly?

"But why?", Mal asked in disbelief. "I almost destroyed Auradon. I spelled your son and broke your trust."

"My husband says I've always been too kind.", Belle said, a laugh escaping from her lips. "When I planned to take in children from the Isle, I knew it wouldn't be easy. You've been taught evil your whole life, and it’s not as if we can change that in the blink of an eye. As the queen, I was prepared for the consequences.”

“You knew Auradon could be at risk, and yet you still wanted us here?”

“Yes. The children of the villains did nothing wrong, and yet they carry the burden of their parents’ sins. I found that extremely unfair. Of course, I hoped for you to live among the citizens of Auradon someday, but I wanted to at least give you a choice if you wished to be here in Auradon or back at the Isle.”

“When Fairy Godmother talked to the four of you, you all expressed the desire to stay here, to choose good. That was enough reason for me to let you stay.”, the queen continued to explain.

The older woman’s face suddenly tightened, and her mouth was set into a grim line. “As a mother, however, it’s a different matter altogether.”

Mal nodded, anticipating just as much.

“Ultimately, Ben was the most hurt out of everyone, but I still stand by what I said to you at the castle. You make him happy. Perhaps you did pretend at first, but the situation has changed now. Fairy Godmother has informed me of your feelings for my son.”

The young girl smiled sadly. “My feelings don’t matter anymore, Your Majesty. Nothing can ever change the fact that I hurt Ben. I’m sure he doesn’t feel anything for me but hate.”

Queen Belle clasped her hands together. “My son hasn’t been the same since things ended with the two of you. He’s too quiet, too reserved. All he ever does is study, accomplish his duties as a prince, or do sports. I’ve tried to get him to open up, but he never says anything.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Your Majesty.”

“Mal, I’m telling you to go talk to him. It wouldn’t hurt to explain your side.”

“What if he doesn’t want to talk or forgive me?”, the girl asked worriedly.

“Then I suppose that’s the end. You two will at least both be able to let go and move on.”, the queen said sadly. “But don’t you think it will be a good place to start over? No regrets and no reminders of the past.”

Mal thought about the queen’s suggestion. Hoping that Ben would take her back in was too much of a reach, but maybe this could be her first step to a new life, one where him walking right past her wouldn’t hurt anymore.

She leaned over and gave Belle a hug, much to the queen’s surprise. “Thank you, Queen Belle.”, Mal said softly.

Belle returned the girl’s hug and squeezed her reassuringly. “You are always welcome, Mal.”

* * *

“Carlos, will you stand still?”, Evie snapped as she held a measuring tape near the boy’s legs. With the Midyear Ball commencing in less than two weeks, the bluenette was also in a whirl over the production of the outfits that the villain kids would be wearing.

Evie had complained that, lately, staying in the dorms or in the Fashion Design studio—where she was now able to work comfortably— was too claustrophobic for her creative spirit, so she dragged everyone out to the picnic tables near the locker area.

“Mal, save me!”, Carlos cried out, spotting the purple-haired girl walking through the grass towards where they were.

Mal shook her head. “You know no one can stop Evie when she’s like this, not even me.”

“Carlos, if you don’t hold still, I’m making you wear pants to the ball.”, Evie threatened, making the younger boy freeze and stand stiffly in his position. It had taken him a whole lot of arguing to persuade the girl to let him wear shorts, and he didn’t want Evie to change her mind about it.

“How was counselling?”, Jay asked. 

“Same old, same old.”, Maleficent’s daughter muttered, not really wanting to repeat the details of her conversation with Belle. Besides, it seemed like their talk was private, meant only for the two of them.

“Mal, it’s your turn.”, Evie declared as she held up the measuring tape with Carlos scampering away in relief.

“I still don’t get the point of us attending the ball. It’s not required anyway, and I’m pretty sure everyone would feel uncomfortable with us there.”, Mal said, walking over to stand beside her best friend.

“Who cares what others think?”, Evie piped up. “Fairy Godmother said it was okay to go, so we’ll go! It’ll be a good opportunity for us to take our minds off of everything that has happened.”

“For once, I agree with Evie on this one.”, Jay butted in.

“If attending means getting to eat tasty food, then there are no complaints from me.”, Carlos agreed.

“Alright, alright. We’re attending.”, Mal conceded. After all, this was the first time in a long while that she had seen her friends’ spirits up, and they really did deserve this chance to have fun. She realized that she might also get the chance to talk to Ben during the ball.

“If it isn’t the evil quartet.”, a high-pitched voice suddenly spoke up. The villain kids turned around to see Audrey, Chad, and a few students behind them. “I don’t understand how you can all manage to still be here. If I were you, I would have gone back to the Isle myself where you rightfully belong.”

“If anyone here belongs to the Isle, it’s you!”, Evie spat out at Aurora’s daughter.

Mal gripped the bluenette’s elbow. A small crowd had begun to gather noisily, and she didn’t want to attract any more attention. “Leave it, E. She’s not worth it.”, the purple-haired girl said.

Audrey’s nostrils flared, not liking how quick Mal was to ignore her. “I hoped you would get the memo and willingly leave when I posted your plans on the school board. But apparently, you’re too thick-headed to understand that you’re not wanted here. As much as you act all goody-goody, you will never become like one of us! You will always be nothing more but the evil spawn of evil villains!”

“You’re behind the anonymous post?”, Mal asked quietly, her eyes flashing bright green.

“Yes!”, Audrey announced proudly. “When you were having your little breakdown in the kitchen, I overheard everything. Auradon should thank me for exposing you for who you really are.”

“Don’t act so innocent in all of this, Audrey.”, Mal began. “It was you who planned on introducing me to Queen Leah, who wanted me out of Auradon, who made all of this into a big issue. I can handle anything you throw at me, but I will never forgive you for dragging my friends into this mess! 

“I admit that I did scheme to bring about the downfall of Auradon, but there’s one thing you didn’t tell everyone. It’s that I didn’t want to continue my plan any longer. It’s that I’m done with being evil.”

The crowd of people fell silent at Mal’s words. A single thought entered their minds. Had they completely misjudged Maleficent’s daughter?

“If you value your pretty face, I suggest you leave us alone.”, Mal threatened, looking straight into the princess’s eyes. Audrey squeaked in fear at the intensity of Mal’s piercing gaze.

Without another word, Mal turned to walk away from the scene, and Jay and Carlos followed her. Evie remained, her eyes going from Audrey to Chad standing nearby. Cinderella’s son seemed to be rooted to his place in the grass, probably in terror of Mal. After all, the purple-haired girl had given him before an apple poisoned with the Apple Poisoning Spell, making him act wildly and shamefully for a day.

Evie took a deep breath and addressed Chad.

“I don’t want to sit by idly either while you treat us as inferior.”, the bluenette said quietly. “You’re an arrogant jerk, Chad, and you used me. You may call yourself a prince, but you will never come close to being one.”

Having said everything on her mind, Evie hurried to follow her friends. The remaining people in the area stood shell-shocked at what had transpired. Later that night, Pixie was overflowing with apologies from the students of Auradon Prep. They had been too quick to judge the villain kids, and they voiced their complete acceptance of Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos.


End file.
